The Great War
by TrueMusashi
Summary: Complete peace has reigned for hundreds of years, and the descendents of the Saiyans have suffered and prospered. Now, they must come together to stop a strange force that has fixed its eyes on Earth's most precious resource: The Dragonballs
1. Chapter I

/_Only two terrors have ever encapsulated the Earth so terrible that it was actually forced from memory by fear. One of those terrors has not even a name, for it was too long ago for people to remember. But the other terror is a fresh one, and only six hundred years have passed since it left the scars across the face of the Earth. The Great War, was a war designed to end all wars. Indeed, it started merely as a plan, but soon turned to a bloodbath. Who knows if it is by miracle or malice that the War is to be soon forgotten? But I, Kami, can never allow its memories to be forgotten for all time: or else great peril awaits all of mankind when the past creeps back to the present.   
Kami Mikinko   
613 PGW/_

****

*Chapter 1*  
The eagle spies its prey,   
a lowly snake slithering on the ground below.

****

*Reverberations of the Continuum*  
  
"Sir," suddenly spoke the lieutenant, "we will soon reach system X760E0221, what your orders, sir?" his hands were straight down as he faced the General, a stone-faced Smargleoid wearing the traditional garb of the royal class.   
"Hmm," General Maxra grumbled as he studied the layout of the blue planet, "It seems that this planet is going to be difficult to traverse, it has forests, deserts, and lots of acid, approximately 75% of it is covered with the clear liquid.   
"Let's land on planet four of the system, and establish base. Then we can build a military asylum on number three's satellite, on the far side where it is never visible. It appears that establishing Nexen (Oxygen) Air converters will be a difficult task. What we'll have to do is hide them in the polar regions and in the deserts, and destroy all of the competing organisms," he was thinking aloud now, "Yes, then we can move forward with Operations."   
"Yes sir," said the officer after he was sure the general was done with him; then he saluted and left.   
The general, however, hadn't finished thinking, instead he just became aware of the need to be silent, 'It seems so strange that this planet is as of yet uninvaded. Why, I wonder, did the Saiyans not take it long ago when they were a dominating force? They even breathe Nexen just like the animals of this planet,' his eyes glared at the topaz atmosphere of Earth, and his heart, a militaristic one in every facet, shuddered, 'this planet is protected by some force, some guiding light that has strayed away all plunderers who come for its greatest treasure. I must go see the Emperor, he must hear my advice,' he finished thinking and turned to leave the bridge of the Lenologence (Conqueror).

__

/The Smargleloids are a proud warrior race coming from the East Galaxy planet of Smargle, far, far away from the watch of Kai. There it was that they developed a Samurai-like system of living which made them a vicious yet cunning people. People were of three classes: nobility, warriors, and slaves. Slaves, of course, did all the work, and were selectively bred for both stupidity and strength. The warriors were bred for speed, power, and instinctual loyalty. The nobility ran it all.   
It was after the death of Emperor Milanxa-Gemini (Milanxa means 'of the gods') that the nobility became ambitious and greedy beyond reason. They used the death to 'influence' the selection of the next Emperor. Soon they pushed the limits of the biological knowledge, science, and military to slowly spread their influence around the galaxies. But, it wasn't until the decline of the Cold lineage, and of course the Saiyans, that they were able to spread uninhibited. It wasn't long before the stumbled upon the ruins of a lost planet and learned of the creation of the Universe and its laws. But, they were dismayed, for only a few planets were now left with a true Kami in place, and almost all of them were unable to be located. It was only with expensive luck that they found Earth and came to plunder its most sought after treasure: the Dragonballs./

It wasn't long before the Lenologence reached the fourth planet of the system and established base. Immediately, the crew of scientists set out four mega-nemants (robots) which would shape the planet to their liking. The first nemant turned into a mining factory with both fision and fusion reactors and magnetic destabilizers that broke down molecules and rearranged them. It would of course take soil and rock from the planet and turn it into several things: metals, Nonexan (Carbon Dioxide), and a base called Gilfan which was the source of their life supply. It was Smargeloid water.   
The second nemant would take the raw metals and make materials for building things like other nemants, or cities. It also was responsible for producing transparent liquid Milanxanan (what the Kais call 'Kichin') which was then used to cover all materials.   
The third nemant produced war materials, and prefabricated a military base for deep space installation. It also was responsible for designing the wormhole generators that would be set in place to allow for quick movement of personnel. Lastly it was a scientific development center which looked for ways to increase the knowledge base of the Smargleoids.   
The last nemant was responsible for making forestry of Nonexan producing specimens, and growing food for the population.   
The system was a flawless and highly successful system, and the power possessed by the military was godlike. Indeed they had conquered both nuclear technology and Ki technology, although it was only the nobility that ever learned to use Ki with their bodies. Warriors were responsible for running the boundless droid armies that were created, as well as using military tactics in their operations.   
Soon, Maxra arrived at the helm of the Emperor; he approached the sentinel guards, "General Maxra, nenocomalinkanomicon, eta-vonglerby," he spoke the password to the sentinels.   
"Cleared, proceed General Maxra," their robotic voices spoke back.   
Maxra, walked calmly and confidently through the doorway – he was perhaps the only Smargleoid not afraid of the Emperor. But, also that was perhaps because he knew too much about everything to have anything to fear, he was after all the most gifted of any General due to his personal acquaintance with the nobility class and their 'education'.   
Yet, it is also duly noted that he never actually spoke in person with the Emperor. Emperor Malanxa-Neolas was well protected in the fortress of Liplosa, a paradise only known of by the nobility.   
Maxra knelt down on the com-center as nemants moved to test his blood, eyes, and breath. Then, he spoke, "I have come to thee, my liege," his eyes never left the ground.   
"What is thy reason, Maxranoma (noma is 'insignificant')?" the Emperor's voice was deep, cryptic.   
"I have good news, sire, we are soon to establish base on a planet very close to the third one. It seems that the third one will be difficult to convert, and it will be more economical to invade it after the wormholes have been fully established there."   
"Nothing," retorted the voice, "should be difficult about it at all, Maxranoma."   
"No, sire, it is just that…"   
"Just that you sense something?"   
"Y-yes, sire, I am alerted by a strange power that resides upon the planet, that seems to guide it and protect it."   
"You are referring to the lack of Saiyan plunder, I assume?" the Emperor obviously knew more than he let on.   
"Yes, sire, I do. I think it would be wise to send some nemantons to probe the planet further. It will only be seven missa (7.2 weeks per missa) until we are fully established both militarily and economically. By then, it will be easy for our nemantons to gather the necessary intel on the planet to begin making the invasion. After that, it will be relatively easy to find the treasure you seek."   
"Treasure, Maxranoma?" the Emperor suddenly became very curious and interested, "I never told you you were searching for a 'treasure'. I simply order for the invasion…"   
Maxra broke into a small, cold sweat, 'Try to be calm,' he thought, "My lord, I merely heard that rumor from the nobility, I shouldn't have presumed…"   
"Indeed you shouldn't!" the voice snapped back, then became calm and reassuring, "Proceed with your plans, Maxranoma, and prepare for me a palace, I am coming in six missa to personally oversee your efforts."   
"W-what? But, sire!"   
"Do you question me!?" he shouted angrily.   
"No sire, I just want to reassure you that I will not fail you…"   
"I trust in that, Maxranoma, it is simply that I want to observe personally your work, you are due for a promotion if you succeed."   
The statement threw Maxra off guard, "Sire?"   
But it was too late, and the sentinels soon lifted Maxra from his seat and slung him outside the chambers.   
Walking back to the bridge, Maxra still maintained his composure, though he was significantly rattled, 'That was a large mistake, how stupid of me. Now it will be far more difficult for me to attain my goal. The Emperor will certainly be watching my movements closely, but he'll never be able to completely eliminate my ability to gain the treasure for myself. Then I can do as I please. But first, things must move forward as planned, with a little extra insurance on my part. I must call upon Sancoah, he is the most trustworthy and capable, indeed.' Maxra smile and then strolled further down the hall turning into a lavatory just before reaching the bridge.

*The Simple Life*  
  
"Goken! Goken!" called a woman from her hut, her hair vibrating with her voice's interruption of the silent surrounding foothills, "Come inside, son, and eat! Gomen," she turned to the man sitting at the table already, face staring intently at the bounty in front of him, "where is your son!? I thought you told him that from now on he had to be back by eight every night for supper?" she was very angry.   
"Aww, hun," he turned to her with a not-so-concerned face, "you know how he gets. He goes out to the mountains to read, and then he trains all day with Centura. He doesn't mean to forget the time, it just happens. Come sit down, and eat," his big black eyes pleaded with all their innocence and honesty.   
"No, no, Gomen, I have work to do!" she started towards the sink.   
"But baby, look, we're all hungry," Gomen was referring to the two young girls sitting at the table, staring at the food and at their mother, "Don't worry about him, he can take care of himself. Besides, he's got Centura with him, exactly what could happen?"   
"Oh… alright, I suppose you're right. I don't know why I continue to struggle to keep control of that boy. Ever since you gave him permission to fly when he turned 13, it's been a struggle… but," she turned to look out into the setting sun, "I can't seem to let go of him…"   
"MOM!" the twin girls, Nina and Shira, whined at the same time, "He's 18 for crying out loud, he's going to enter college soon, let it go and come eat!" they were both so sure that they'd never be like their mother once they had a family. At age 15, they cared little for either family or fighting, plus they were popular in high school: they worried not the least for Goken.   
Suddenly, the phone rang. "I've got it!" the two girls yelled, but their mother was faster than she looked and before the girls were up, she had the phone.   
"Hello?" her voice was vindictive, but polite, she hated phones and especially when they came at supper.   
"Hey Lila! Rosetta here, just calling to see if Centura is over there…"   
"No, he isn't, but if he comes by, I'll tell him you called."   
"Thanks, dear,"   
"And if Goken comes by tell him to get home right away, too."   
"Yeah, I'll do that. Thanks a lot Lila," she sounded lonely.   
"No problem, bye," and Lila hung up the phone, then walked over to the table to sit down and eat.   
"What'd she want?" asked Gomen.   
"Her son, like me…" was the sad response.   
"Hmm… she's been pretty lonely ever since Aretay died," Gomen suddenly recalled the vision of the youthful warrior, cut down in his prime by an unlikely stroke.   
"Yeah… I feel sorry for her," she spoke, then lifted her sticks to eat.   
The rest of the meal passed in silence.   
_  
/The family line, was indeed no line for either of the two Saiyan houses. Instead, it was a sad, and odd meandering zig-zag. Its main result, however was that by the time Gomen's generation was in youth, it was only himself, his brother Gojin, Aretay, and Aretay's missing brother, Odysean to carry on the names. There were some sisters, but they did not carry on the names, nor did they pass on the sex-linked Saiyan genes that made strong warrior sons and daughters. It took a male to pass those on. But, it appeared that the lineage of King Vegeta was in great peril, for Aretay's brother was quite missing and had recently vowed to remain celebate in the priestly service of Korinans. Aretay himself had died alone in his training quarters of a mysterious stroke, and it was then discovered that he had wished long ago from Shenlong to never be allowed to be revived. It was known to his friends and loved ones that he greatly feared old age.  
So now Centura spent all his time with his close friend, Goken, the only son on Gomen. Odysean was a hermit, who fled the presence of his brother after a fistfight when they were both still young. Gojin, to say the last necessary information, was somewhat of a bachelor, and was still young, without desire for a family. Gomen's life was a simple one, but seemed to him to have been the most promising and happy one./  
_  
On top of Mount Hiromi, in a tiny little hot-spring, sat the two friends, talking as if they had no care in the world. It was a pleasant evening, no harsh cloud cover to disgust the soul – the sun had just set over the pastures below, casting magnificent colorful rays about the land. Goken, had closed his eyes for the moment, listening to his friend talk about the girl he had met in his senior year mathematics class. "Dude, she is so, so hot! And she is just an amazing speaker, she is a lot smarter than the other girls," he was enthusiastic.   
"Uh-huh…" Goken pretended to listen, "What's her name, did you say?"   
"I, uhh, forgot to ask her…" he was embarrassed.   
"I see," Goken responded, eyes still closed, 'dumby, he never was good at this stuff,' he thought, observing the warmth enter his neck.   
"So, anyhow, I invited her to my mom's birthday party, you're coming, right?"   
"Uh, yeah, sure," he echoed without giving it any thought, "When did you say that was?"   
"Dude, I've been saying this all day! It's tomorrow. Man, you have to come meet this girl!"   
"Alright, I'll be there, damn. Can I enjoy my bath now?"   
"Yeah, sure," Centura replied dejectedly.   
After they had finished, they got out and clothed up, each going his respective direction towards home… unaware were either one of them that above in the deep blue sky lurked a villain waiting and biding his time to strike.

****

*The Party*  
  
Goken had spent that whole day out in the sun, basking, reading, fishing, and doing all the things he loved. His mother had chided him the night before not to squander his days like so, but he couldn't help but feel as if his life had no other purpose but to enjoy the beauty of the world. She'd never understand him, he thought as he counted the puffs in the clouds while laying in the growing dimness. Often he had spent his time here contemplating many things, even having conversations with Kami or Korin whenever they chimed in to his thoughts. They indeed liked the youth. 'How am I going to tell mom I don't plan to go to college?' he thought. For a while now he had known he truly could never be happy with that kind of life, but the pressure of a parent is hard to overcome. Even Gomen, he recollected, had been forced to take up a job and such. But, that was because he had a family… Goken didn't have one nor did he want one. In fact, he really just wanted to be an adventurer. Long ago he had traveled the Earth, flying and climbing everything. Now he enjoyed gazing to the stars and wishing he could see them all. 'If only I had a spaceship…' Goken then remembered that Centura had legitimate connections by family ties to the Briefs' company, Capsule Corporation, now over a hundred years prestigious. Somehow, he could earn enough money to buy a ship and then he'd blast off! 'Wait a minute,' he thought, 'oh shit… I told Centura I'd be at his party!'   
Quickly he jumped up and flew off to his house to eat supper and get ready, it wasn't long before he was out the door and on his way to West City.   
_  
/The Briefs family had always enjoyed success with Capsule Corporation since two things had happened: one was Bra becoming a huge lawyer that defended the patent of capsule making, the other that Trunks used his strength and persuasive intellect to defend and expand the family business. Bulma was indeed a clever woman with how she prepared the family's future.   
Now the Briefs owned more than half of West City and housed in several mansions all of their relatives, like in the old days. To get in, you needed a very special permission from a relative or a security clearance from the company. But, for Goken, to go to Centura's house was as easy as dropping in. He always loved to be at the Briefs residence, it was a splendid 'castle' that had so many things for him to eyeball. He knew his mother had plans to get him a job there with his acquaintance and friendships, like Gomen had. But in truth he did not plan to ever work in the Capsule Corporation compound, he found it both trite and meaningless. Instead, he had his own reasons for coming there often: to get a glimpse at the spaceships and ports./  
_  
Goken landed outside the front door, and though the guards a hundred meters back came shouting after him, wanting clearance, he knocked and then went inside anyhow. He didn't ever bother with formalities. He was a simple country boy, and to him Centura's house was like his own. That was quite alright with Rosetta, too; especially now that her husband was gone. Instead of being a home, to her the mansion was a tomb – a catacomb of torture and pain that only reminded her everyday of lonely nights, and every night reminded her of lonely days.   
"Hey there, Goken, my word, aren't you handsome?" Rosetta came up to him and hugged him.   
"Thanks Mrs. Briefs," he said to her, "How are you feeling today?" he looked into her eyes with sympathy, he was a warm-hearted soul.   
"I'm doing alright, Goken, thanks…" she stared back at him for a moment, a tear coming to her eye, "Centura is in the back, if you want to see him," she broke the silence.   
"OK, thanks," and he started towards the back, then stopped, "Oh, by the way, happy birthday, Mrs. Briefs."   
"Thank you, Goken," she turned away and then walked to the kitchen.   
Goken took his time to get to Centura's room, enjoying the fine paintings and statues and all the other artwork adorning the hallways of the Aretay Mansion. Finally he came to Centura's room, where inside was a mess only barges could compete with. Heavy metal music blared nonstop at all hours of the day, and the walls were plastered with everything you could imagine. Goken noticed something else special about those walls: recently they had become more and more covered with family photos that had before been hidden away in embarrassment.   
"How do you ever sleep with that music on!?" yelled Goken as he walked in.   
Centura poked his head out of his bathroom and stared, "Oh, it's you! Glad you came," he looked nervous as Hell.   
He went back in then came out after five more minutes. He reached over and turned off the music. "I don't sleep in here anymore," he announced, "I can't sleep with all the eyes on me. I just keep the music on to clear my mind so the eyes don't bother me when I am here."   
Goken stared at him then looked at the walls, "Yeah…" he murmured, 'I forgot he told me how he sleeps in the training room now. He's like a ghost of his father, only he wishes to throw away his youth…'   
"So, how do I look?" Centura presented himself.   
"Why?"   
"For the girl, you twit! Do I look good?"   
"Yeah, sure, you're hot…" and then he burst out laughing.   
Next thing he knew Centura flung a kick at him… he dodged it.   
"You are too slow, Centura."   
"I'll show you slow, you bastard!" and then he chased after Goken down the hall to the front rooms.   
But, it wasn't long before both of them stopped suddenly and without a word, stared straight ahead of them.   
"It's her," Centura whispered half to himself.   
It was at this point that Goken seemed to feel as if he were on his mountain, or better yet, on the moon staring into the Earth's jewel-like surface. It was, to him, as though Heaven itself had descended for a day and took the form of a young girl, only slightly shorter than he, but with the eyes of an Angel. He noticed too, that she seemed to stare into his, drawing him in as well. Centura, however, took no note of it.   
"Ahem, welcome to the Aretay Mansion, Mei-ling," he spoke, bowing and then slapping Goken on the shoulder, "This is my best friend, Son Goken. Goken, this is Mei-ling."   
Goken and she were silent for a moment, just long enough to instill a slight tinge of jealousy in the naïve Centura. "A pleasure to meet you, Mei-ling," Goken finally said softly, staring still into her emerald eyes.   
"It's my pleasure to be here," she said without thinking, then broke off her stare and spoke to Centura, "Do you have a bathroom?"   
"Uh… yeah, of course, I'll show you the way," he then took her hand and led her down another hall.   
Goken stared at them the whole time, but for his own manly stupidity did not see her stare back from the corner of her eye, and more importantly from her heart. Suddenly, he needed a glass of water.   
_  
/The rest of the evening went splendid, there were over a hundred guests and well wishers to come to the birthday party. When the time was right, Rosetta's father said a toast and wished her well. The younger ones partied down, while the adults drank themselves silly. Gomen, Lila, and their daughters showed up to see everything. The daughters fit in well, and were very much the center of attention for almost all of the guys in the room, except Goken and Centura of course. They both focused their attentions to Mei-ling, who was of course quite embarrassed to be so much the focus of the two young warriors. Gomen, Lila, and Rosetta all took notice of this, and simply smiled as they sat mostly alone talking of old times. At one point, Gomen's brother crashed the party in a big way, drunker than anybody there, and soon become the party's personal jester, much to the dismay of Gomen's family.   
Eventually things wound down and everyone took their leave. Attendants came in to clean things up and it was time for Mei-ling to leave too./  
_  
"Well, I guess it's time I be going home…" she said disappointingly.   
"I'll take you home," Centura announced proudly, "I've got a limousine we can use."   
"No no, that's alright, I drove here."   
"Ok," said Centura.   
"Well," interrupted Goken, "We should walk her to the car, Centura, it's a long walk, you know."   
"Good thinking," Centura agreed, and they all started out the door when suddenly Rosetta called to Centura.   
"Centura! Centura, come in here for a moment, I want to have a word with you!"   
"Damn, well, I guess I can trust Goken to walk you safely, he's almost as strong as me," he punched Goken in the arm and then turned to Mei-ling, "Hey, I'll see you in class tomorrow, OK?"   
"Yeah, good night, Centura," and the two watched him go inside and run towards his mother's room.   
Walking alone in the dark gave them both a chill, and not a chill from the cold, for it was late May and not the least bit cold. They felt chills at being alone, as if Fate had something to do with it. For the majority of the time, they remained silent, until the braver of the two struck up a conversation as they were halfway to the gatehouse. "So, Goken, Centura tells me you're in college…"   
"Uh, yeah, I am studying to be an engineer. But…"   
"But what?" she turned to him and stared.   
"I don't think I am going back."   
"Why not?"   
"I, uh, don't want to do that for the rest of my life. I don't want to work for the Briefs and get rich and all of that."   
"Really? What do you want to do?" she asked, then noticed he was staring up at the oversized moon above their heads.   
"I don't know, I guess I want to be an adventurer. I can't explain it, but I feel like my soul is like that of an Eagle, too wild to be tamed and caged."   
If only he knew how his words had already captured both her heart and mind, perhaps he could have kissed her. She knew then that her love for all time had been found, and being the intelligent woman she was, contrived immediately to make sure that was so.   
"Well, I sort of know how you feel. My mom wants me to be a doctor, but I don't feel like that is me. I want to be an artist, to draw beautiful landscapes and sculpt and design things. I want to express myself…" she was honest, and gorgeous, and Goken was spellbound.   
"Have you done anything so far?"   
"Well, yes, but it isn't much. I don't have anything good to show…"   
"Can I see some of it?"   
"Yeah, sure, I guess," her trap was working.   
"I love art, all kinds. I practice the martial arts myself, sometimes with Centura, sometimes alone on my mountain. I still maintain that my ultimate goal in life is to practice my sword fighting on the moon."   
"That's strange…" she blurted out, then said, "I'm sorry."   
"No, you're right, it is odd," he then chuckled at himself and she laughed too.   
Suddenly she felt brave, and with a new purpose in mind, said, "It's cold," then wrapped her right arm around his left and leaned in.   
He was both totally unprepared, and also totally perplexed. Then he lifted his face to the sky and smiled. It seemed as though the Universe was smiling back upon him too, and he was grateful.

****

*Red Rock*  
  
Deep in the chasms of space, the Smargleoids had already spent two missa setting up base. It wasn't long before Maxra found time to not only enjoy himself, but make the scheduled visit with Sancoah. Riding his Flanvula (hovercar) alone, he turned off all signals with base, using his authority to put into affect Martial Zenco, which was, in essence, the authority to go completely secret in times of war. He abused it regularly, but no one would ever know it was abuse since his was a secret life and one of personal and unchained discretion. The Empire trusted him totally, and why not? He had won mor battles and conquered more systems than all the other generals combined – by three times as much at least. He was a patriot in every sense of the word, but lately he had come to see being patriotic with a different light.   
It wasn't long before he had entered the crater of Olympus Mons and parked under a ledge to escape view from probing satellites. Soon, he saw Sancoah on the radar and sent a small message detailing his location under the ledge. 'Yes, Sancoah is indeed always the most reliable. I can't ever remember a time when he was late for an appointment,' thought Maxra as he looked to his watch and then to the distance to see the approaching Flanvula. The air was breathable nowadays, and the climate was just warm enough to take a short walk outside. They had a great many things to discuss, Maxra and Sancoah did…   
_  
/Mitai Foreshna Sancoah, alias: the Never-was. Sancoah was an alien of immeasurable usefulness. He had spied on more planets and in more governments than every thought possible. Somehow, no matter the conditions, he managed to infiltrate everything he was asked to and get every piece of information he wanted. His price was beyond almost every wallet, but Maxra was richer than almost everyone anyhow, and had made use of Sancoah to do many things that always paid back the money lost in the job: assassinations, espionage, sabotage, smuggling, robbery, high jacking, and many other unsavory things. He realized though that it would forever be a professional and dangerous tie. But, he never worried. Sancoah had also escaped imprisonment more times than any being on any planet, anywhere in the Galaxies. Rumored dead, he had become very profitable and useful, indeed, especially now that a very special treasure had come to Maxra's attention./  
_  
The ship landed and to show good bidding, both turned off their engines and landed. Then, they stepped outside with hands up. Each knew the other well enough to know that it wouldn't be wise to attempt the kill. While Sancoah was known among the elite for his work, it was known among the masses that Maxra was a twenty time champion of Death Tournament. He had never lost.   
"Welcome, old friend," Maxra spoke kindly, fake as well, to the prospective hire.   
"It's a pleasure to be here, Maxra, although this planet is an absolute dump!" he felt the chilly air whip on him.   
"Indeed it is, Never-was, but then again, before long it will be fit for even the five kings to live on," he did not reveal the imminent arrival of the Emperor, nor did he feel it prudent.   
"Perhaps, I personally think that this pithy mountain ought to be looked at as an eyesore," they continued the façade of conversation.   
"Yes, but before long the planet will be pleasantly transformed and the military base on the third planet's moon will be quite operational. Eventually, the third planet will be harvested to turn this heap into a paradise, and the wormholes will work round the clock to do so,"   
"Speaking of work," Sancoah interrupted, "what is it that you wanted to discuss with me?"   
"Yes, well, let's have a seat in my Flanvula, it'll be warmer there."   
"Not so fast, old friend, how can I be sure you aren't setting me up?"   
"Well," reasoned Maxra, reaching to his pocket and pulling out a sack, "Here's the first reason," and he tossed to Sancoah the bag filled with diamonds, "And the second being I wish to discuss with you a matter of treason. Mine, namely," the look in his eyes showed Sancoah he meant business.   
Entering the machine they sat facing completely forward, never looking at each other. One thing that they had both mastered long ago was the ancient art of Yuni (ventriloquism) and as they sat they spoke without moving a visible muscle so that even if the car wasn't safe, they couldn't be associated and therefore proven as haven ever spoken. It was common knowledge, in fact, that Yuni no longer existed, so therefore any words heard by recordings were digitally mastered sabotage.   
"The Emperor has very special plans for this planet, Sancoah. By this planet, I mean the third one, the blue one about two clicks away. He is giving the nobility the impression that he plans to use it for mining and for making this red one a prosperous tourist destination, but I know otherwise."   
"Oh?" was the short reply.   
"Yes, after making some inquiries, I found that indeed he is interested in the blue one's treasures, a very valuable treasure to be exact."   
"I have heard it too. I have heard the planet is a haven for these," and he showed his little bag of Diamonds, "plus a lot of other rare elements and nuclear fuel."   
"That is quite right, but that treasure is only secondary. There is a treasure far beyond that in the depths. More rare than any element in the galaxy. An ancient knowledge and power that goes beyond anything the Empire can muster."   
"What? You don't speak of… of the Klasfugen?"   
"Yes, Sancoah, I speak of that exactly!"   
Sancoah gasped, he was genuinely amazed. "That does explain a lot…"   
"I made inquiries and spent quite a lot of effort into learning this. More importantly, I have spent quite a lot of time learning the truth behind the legends they teach in school. This is where you come in. You are to go to this planet and find me this treasure, by whatever means possible. I also need for you to find out how it all works, bring back the Klasfugenon to me and this will earn you more money than the five kings together."   
"Sounds dangerous, what's the catch?"   
"The terrain is tough: acid rain, Nexen, military powers, and something else I haven't mentioned…" he hesitated.   
"Yes?"   
"It seems to me as if, and I may be wrong about this, but it seems quite possible that this planet it the last stronghold of the Saiyan race. I get very strange Ki readings from the planet. Besides the Klasfugen, a powerful adversary guards the planet, powers that rival the five kings and even myself."   
"Hmm… that seems unlikely Maxra, you must be just worried that the Emperor will learn of your deception."   
"Maybe, but at least if you know then you can use the element of surprise in case you encounter them. They may even have the treasure or the key to the treasure's location. It may be wise to seek them out. I fear that soon the planet's scientists, if they have any, will discover our presence on this planet and begin to alert the world. At that point the surprise advantage may disappear. So move quickly to intercept and if need be, destroy. You will be compensated beyond your wildest dreams, I assure you. That bag is to cover your expenses," he moved not an inch to convey his meaning, "it's time to get back now."   
With that Sancoah took his leave and they parted. It was as if nothing had ever happened back at base. His Flavula's stealth system brought him silently back. Maxra's mistresses made sure that all believed he had merely been napping and without a flinch another missa passed without repercussions of his midday conversation with Never-was.

****

*Silent Night*  
  
Deep in his chamber, Kami Dende was meditating. His slender body sat rigidly still as he focused all his thoughts on a chess board. It had been only three hours since they had started playing, but it was already apparent the Korin, the master chessman he was, would win. Kami Dende was getting on in his age, he was quite a bit younger than Korin, for sure, but being a Namekian, he aged much faster. Besides that he was a far more stressed individual. Still, he never could refuse Korin in a match of Chess and almost won a few times. It seemed to him, though, that the cat was getting on in age, and it wouldn't be long before a new provincial leader would need be found. 'Knowing Korin, he already has a successor in mind,' thought Dende as he watched the white queen decimate his green knight.   
Suddenly the game evaporated into the air as, seemingly simultaneously, both Korin nodded off to sleep and Dende heard voices coming from outside.   
_  
/It had been ages since anything of note had happened to the Earth, and though some saw it as good luck, Mr. Popo saw it as the excellent guardianship of his master. Only three times since Goku emerged from the Dragon's lair had the great Shenlong been called upon. One was to bring back to life the young Odysean, and the dragon dismissed. One was Aretay wishing to die an honorable and warrior death while in his prime, and then Shenlong was dismissed. The third time was Gomen to wish for an education to please his wife, and then to wish for his wife's new pregnancy to be daughters that would make their mother happy. These were the only wishes made, and although strange, they were innocent and some even noble.   
Dende had since taken into possession the Dragon Radar to guard it from evil hands and ever since he had been quite happy with the world he had led./  
_  
"Kami, Goken is here."   
Standing up, Kami Dende walked with his staff towards the light and emerged to greet the young warrior.   
"Well hello, Goken, what bring you here today?"   
"I came for your advice, sir."   
"My advice?" Dende acted as though that were a ridiculous thing; Mr. Popo turned to leave them and go back to his garden.   
Dende led Goken towards the edge of the Sanctuary, and both stood gazing out into the blue heavenly sky. The azure seemed to sweep Goken away, and this absentness was aware to Dende. "You do love her, don't you?"   
Goken almost fell to the ground. "Yes. Yes, I do."   
"Hmm. Quite a predicament, I see. You are feeling as though your plans for the future are changing, aren't they?" Dende stared at Goken, face old and darkening by the year.   
"Yes, I never planned for it, and now…" he debated in himself.   
"Now, you feel as though the world is upside down? As if your whole vision of life is threatened?"   
"Yeah, I guess so…"   
Dende put his arm around the warrior. "Goken, I ask again, do you love her?"   
"Yes, Kami, I do."   
"Then what else do you need to know?"   
"Well, is it the right thing to do?"   
"The future, Goken," he began to lead him back to the gardens, "is almost impossible to foretell. In one moment you may feel as though everything was in your grasp, like you were the Dai Kaoishin himself, and the next moment you may be lost in a sea of helplessness. But, if you follow your heart in those times, then your mind will naturally adjust and when you were once at the valley, you will again be at the peak."   
"But, what about Centura, he loves her too,"   
"No, Goken, he is infatuated with her beyond all possibility. He so believes he is in love, death would not distill his mind of it. He is a soul of loneliness and is lost as well. His mind is never clear as the sky here is. Unlike you, he has totally imagined every future possibility with Mei-ling, and did not ever intend to flee the baseness of life to uplift his soul," he faced Goken now, and played with a butterfly gingerly on his old hands; plucking a flower from the garden to give it to the creature, then returning the plant to its base and life.   
"So what do I do? I would rather scorn myself and torture my mind than hurt my best friend…"   
"No you wouldn't, you are just loyal. In truth you wish for him to not love her as he does. But no power on Earth can relinquish that lust he holds onto. I foresee that the struggle to vanquish his false demons will be almost insurmountable."   
"Even the dragon cannot help me?"   
"No, that is beyond the ability of the dragon. And besides, it is a wish no one should make when he is as loyal as you are to your friend."   
"You're right, Dende, as usual."   
'Dende!' yelled a voice in their heads, 'Are you going to move, or what?' the old cat had woken to find no move had been made on the board.   
They both laughed at the cat, shaking amiably.   
Then suddenly they felt the cold cry of deception as a scream was heard from across the Sanctuary. Fleeing towards the source, they soon found Mr. Popo knocked out cold on the ground, a mysterious look upon his face.   
Dende closed his eyes, searching the grounds for the culprit while Goken took a stance and looked about, waiting for an adversary to emerge. 'Korin,' Dende spoke to him, 'Do you see anything?'   
'No, not yet… wait! Goken, look out!' cried Korin.   
It was too late, as the cold, steely knee of Sancoah came crashing into the neck of Goken, knocking him out but not killing him. The boy fell with a hard thud to the floor, a look of shock on his face. Kami Dende was petrified.   
In front of him now stood a strange thing. It was a creature wearing a breathing tank and armor. Sleek and tall, with muscles that protruded only slightly. His skin was completely orange, though with many different hues about it. His green hair dangled from his head in a misshapen mess and his eyes were colder than ice. Claws and razors lined his body, and clearly he was an assassin. They now faced each other, unspeaking. Then, slowly Sancoah raised his left hand and in it, his gun. Then he fired a tiny dart that punctured Dende's skin and tranquilized him.   
The last thing Dende saw was Sancoah pull from his pocket a capsule that when 'poofed' formed a man-sized ring. He felt a strange sensation of being lifted and then he was gone.   
The only trace of their movement was a small pile of ashes where the ring had been until it self-incinerated, leaving no way for them to be tracked, and also a small notebook addressed to Son Gomen.

****

*NOTE* - to see the geneaology of the story's main character's, go here: "" \t "_blank" 

This is a file that talks about the political setup of the Smargleoids   
"" \t "_blank"    
This is a picture of the drechen, the imperial sword   
"" \t "_blank"    
This is a picture of the iuqua, Sancoah's personal weapon, this will come in handy later when you try to see actions scenes.   
"" \t "_blank" 


	2. Chapter II

*Chapter Two*  
The eagle circles the prey,   
its shadow hard to catch.

*The Meeting*  
  
Goken found himself shaking terribly… actually he awoke to find Mr. Popo shaking him. Tears streamed from the venerable servant's old and eternally youthful eyes. "He took him, Goken, he's gone!" his voice trembled.   
"Who took who?" Goken sat up, rubbing the back of his neck, which throbbed every time his blood pulsed.   
"The attacker, that orange man! He kidnapped Kami!"   
"What!?" Goken stared in disbelief.   
"He left this here, Goken. Did you see where he went?" Mr. Popo handed him a letter that had been found.   
"No, I didn't. What's this?"   
"Read it, it's addressed to your father."   
"My father?" Goken stared at it, "I can't read it, it's foreign."   
"Here, I'll read it to you, it's written in an ancient language I learned from a guardian long ago.   
" 'To Son Gomen, Saiyan Protectorate of Earth,   
I, Sancoah, have taken hostage the guardian of this planet. We have moved to a far off and undisclosed location. The guardian is fine, for now. Your concern is filling the ransom I have required: all seven Klasfugen. The Klasfugen are to be brought here, where I will collect them. The guardian's life is in my hands, and I will know if any attempts are made to thwart my plans. You have one week to fulfill the requirements.'   
"Goken, this is terrible!"   
"It is, Mr. Popo, it is."   
"You must take this to your father, immediately."   
"You're right, Mr. Popo."   
"Hurry, Goken! Oh, this is terrible!" he was visibly stirred.   
With that, Goken was off, flying towards his house at a speed he never used (usually he took his time to watch the landscape).   
  


/It was almost midnight when all the people had gathered in the living room. In it sat Gomen, to his right sat Goken and Centura. Across from them sat Korin and Mr. Popo. Standing by the door was Lila and Rosetta. Soon a knock on the door came and when Lila opened it, in walked Odysean, who first knelt to Korin and then took his seat to the right of Centura./  
  
"Gomen," spoke Korin, "Why don't you begin?" a grave look covered all their faces.   
"Thank you, Korin. Tonight, a lone attacker took Kami's sanctuary by surprise and kidnapped Kami. He left both Mr. Popo and Goken knocked out from his stealthy and surprise attack, then left only this note," he held up the letter.   
"What's it say?" asked Odysean.   
After having Mr. Popo read it, Gomen began to analyze the situation, "It's obvious he is referring to the Dragonballs. I've asked Mr. Popo to bring the radar here for safe keeping, plus we may just do as the letter says…"   
"Wait," interrupted Odysean, "we don't have to, the poor bastard can't kill Kami unless he wants working Dragonballs. So it doesn't matter, I say we find him."   
"Well, I thought about that, Odysean, except something is bothering me. First is the fact that the letter was written in a strange language that none of us might have been able to read."   
"We were lucky," said Centura, "that Mr. Popo knew how…"   
"No, it was known by Sancoah just like he knew my name," continued Gomen, "He also knew that Mr. Popo knew about his origins. Mr. Popo, you actually saw and maybe even spoke with him, didn't you?"   
"Well, yes.   
"I was watering my garden when I felt a cold chill sweep past me. When I turned, I was frightened by a sudden image of a long dead guardian. I only said this, 'Master Hiloy' and the figure seemed to recognize that name. He then made his move and I screamed in fear. That was all I saw."   
"That is strange, indeed. It's as if this shadowy attacker had spied on things for quite some time. He seems to know that we're Saiyan descendents as well, and I find that even more surprising. Wherever he comes from, he obviously has plans that we haven't even fathomed yet. If we don't fulfill the ransom, I'm afraid something else may happen we haven't foreseen yet."   
"Dad," spoke up Goken, "Why don't we collect the Dragonballs and give him fake ones?"   
"That was a good idea, son," Gomen replied with a look of annoyance, "But now that you've said it aloud we can't use it. Undoubtedly this attacker has spied on all our houses and is listening to all our conversations. He probably bugged you and traced your movements to the lookout," he looked down at the carpet, his eyes sparkling with thought, "We are outclassed in every way. I am afraid that we don't understand our enemy at all. That isn't good," his face was grave and the lines that had avoided Gomen's head over the years began to form.   
"What do we do?" murmured Odysean.   
"You all," finally spoke Korin, "are already quite defeated. Whether you give the Dragonballs to this evil man or not, something terrible is going to happen. If you don't, lives will be in danger. If you do, Kami may very well be lost after they are used for terrible evil. And besides that…" his voice trailed off as his tiny paw went to his chin.   
All the others stared at the tiny white cat who had recently become more thin with age.   
The others stared intently at him, their hearts sunken and now, confused. "What is it, Korin?" asked Gomen.   
"I feel as though a dark shadow has suddenly covered the Earth. It's like when a cloud moves over on a bright day. Everything else around is still bright, but right where you are it is really dark. You just don't seem to notice the shadow until soon many clouds loom overhead. Then comes the storm…"   
His words struck a new chord.   
"It's quite possible that not only the Dragonballs are at stake here, but also he peace of this planet. I don't want to burst your bubbles, but Goken and Centura are the only hard training warriors left. I'm too old and Gomen and Odysean have neglected their ancestral urges. We may be in trouble."   
"What do we do, lord Korin?" asked Odysean with a grave voice.   
Korin smiled then turned to the young man, "When it rains you have three choices: one is to wait it out and do nothing, another is to walk into it and take the beating, and the third is to use your head and get an umbrella," at this he broke into laughter.   
"Patience, Bravery, and Wisdom," muttered Goken to himself.   
When Korin stopped laughing, he noticed that the others were staring at him. "Well, I can't tell you exactly what you should do, but perhaps our guest can."   
The others looked at him and then around the room; they were all perplexed. Suddenly there came a rapping on the door. Lila opened it and in stepped a man that they had not expected to show up at all, Master Tsu.   
"Whatever you do," spoke the amiable old man walking back straight and a glint in his eye; he had been listening in on Korin's thoughts, "you know one thing for sure – clouds and rain always pass to reveal better days. How you get there matters, but keep your eye on the future, and hope in your heart."   
Goken and Centura rose and ran to greet the old man. "Sensei!" they shouted at the same time. "What are you doing here?" asked Goken.   
"Yes, what are you doing here?" eyed Odysean as he spoke.   
Tsu did not face the youths, only turned to Korin, "Thank you for calling upon me. I came as soon as I received your message. This situation is indeed a grave one."   
"What is it master?" said Centura, face intensely worried, "What have you learned?"   
"I have met with the attacker already. At the School in Satan city, I was meditating when I became aware of his presence. I found him, to his great surprise, spying on the dormitories. I made chase, but he was quite athletic and none of my students could trace after him.   
"It was on my way back, that I realized he had never left. Soon I discovered his eyes glaring at me in the dark. I spoke to him, 'Be you evil spirit or burglar, come to my school again, and you will die!' He did not understand my words, but did my tone. He took his leave, and I doubt not that he only did with the knowledge that he had all he needed from my school," the old man with sunglasses then took a seat in a chair next to Korin.   
"The question remains, sensei," spoke Gomen then, "what are we to do?"   
"Gather the Dragonballs and keep them among us, separated and personally guarded. Gomen, Odysean, you take two, and Goken, Centura, and I will take one," he told to them, 'Then,' he spoke into their minds now, 'we should wait for the fiend to make his move. Something tells me that he is only a cog in a bigger machine of malice. A machine that is soon to make its presence known.'   
"Alright, let's get Sancoah his Dragonballs," announced Gomen, "I personally will gather them up, and meet you all at the lookout in two days. Lila, prepare me some meals."   
With that the preparations were made, the radar given to Gomen along with some Senzu and he was gone that very night.   
Goken took a walk outside and stared at his father's disappearing silhouette as it soon blended with the stars. Soon he was joined by Centura. "Life's funny, isn't it?" Centura asked him.   
Goken suddenly reflected on how just earlier that day his only worry in the world had been how to deal with his newfound love and his best friend's delusion. Now, the world had suddenly gotten a lot larger, and he wondered where that put him now. "It sure is, Centura, it sure is."

***The Art of War***  
  
It is without a doubt, absolutely true that the Emperor is far cleverer than can be observed. Maxra was aware of the danger in dealing with the Emperor. Twice, though, he had gauged the intelligence and strength of the Emperor and had won. The first time had been in the setup and subsequent debunking of his predecessor, General To. The second had been when he manipulated the accounting of the five kings till he had untraceably gathered a large sum of income. In either case he felt the razor's edge closing in on him and yet he played all the cards just right. His confidence grew and now he had planned to take the biggest risk in history.   
_  
/Treason, to the Smargleoids, was by far the worst crime one could ever commit. There were hardly ever traitors in the Empire, well, at least caught traitors. But, when found, they were given the most excruciating deaths conceivable. They always did it by analyzing the fears of the traitor and then exploiting that fear in the punishment.   
But, it had never been the case, thus far, that a traitor had actually committed a treasonous act against the Emperor himself. Although all treasons were considered harmful to the Emperor, to betray the Emperor, especially at Maxra's rank, was unheard of. Some dared say it was either the most brilliant or idiotic thing Maxra could conceive. But either way, insanity was an important factor in his decision to move forward with his plans./  
_  
In the middle of the fourth missa, Maxra received the first word from Sancoah on the progress. He learned of the detaining, and the ransom at the same time, as well as the presence of the Saiyan descendants on the planet. He was quite pleased to learn that they were not full blooded Saiyans, as well. He therefore told Sancoah to move on as planned and by the end of the fifth week meet him and Gemini 5 (the moon base) to receive the cargo.   
That night, Maxra celebrated heavily. He drank and partied with his mistresses freely, and he thought to himself, 'Soon, even the Emperor will bow to me and call me Master. I will be unstoppable, and the Empire I shall expand to everywhere in the Universe!' he smiled at the prospect.   
His thoughts though were interrupted by a knock at his chamber door. Soon, a servant came to him, "General, there is an urgent message from the communications tower. It says that the Shilmani (Emperor's Delight) will be docking soon."   
In a flash, Maxra had dressed and was standing in the control tower looking at the monitors. Soon the hull of the great ship was seen to pass through the gateway hovering over Mars and eventually all had passed through. Silently, the great beast began its descent to the surface of the planet.   
It wasn't long before a video feed came from the bridge of the ship, "General Maxra, this is the captain of the Shilmani. Make way for the Emperor's landing. You are to prepare fully for His arrival and come to greet him in five tentra (.87 Earth hours)," then the video closed; it was a cold message, military-like, but colder.   
Maxra gazed out the window of the tower at the descending ship, then turned to the officers on deck, "If this base isn't prepared for the arrival in three tentra, I will personally behead every one of you."   
He then hastily left the tower and made his way to the lavatories, where promptly he threw up.   
As ordered, the base was indeed ready in the allotted time, and in the ordered time, Maxra was at the very beacon of the ship to greet the Emperor. He wasn't exactly sure that he would meet the Emperor as he had once long ago, but the thorough body and security search he had just received inclined him to believe he would. His body quivered now, he had never been so nervous in his life. 'He doesn't know, does he?' he thought to himself, 'No, he made these preparations too early, he is just being a sharp leader.'   
Soon, the lights on the outside of the ship hummed and the doorway to the ship broke open. Maxra had never before seen a procession as long and prestigious as this one. All of the officers he witnessed practically outranked him. Even the slaves looked as though they were the best in the lands. The dedication and distinctive discipline was uncanny as the soldiers and servants moved past him and lined up to his sides. Maxra knelt lower then than he ever had before, and a cold sweat came from his pores. Soon, a hush came over the procession and Maxra knew it was time.   
It seemed ages before the Emperor made his way down to the visibly shaken Maxra. His eminence smiled haughtily at the sight of the lone general bent down before him, ready to crush with ease. Yet, he found Maxra admirable and the patriotic reputation of the General made him not only famous but respectable, even to the Emperor.   
"Rise, Maxra, you have pleased me greatly."   
Maxra dared not look up, but did rise as heeded. "My liege, it is an honor to meet you, and almost as much to receive you in person on this base. I hope that my pitiful attempts to please you will contain your rage for my lack of ability and grace," he sounded sincere.   
"Nonsense," the Emperor scowled, "I am pleased, if not amazed that you did so well. Congratulations, General Maxranoma, you have been promoted to Supreme Commander of the Smargle Empire's five armies."   
The words, almost knocked Maxra over. It were as though he expected a wave and received a surge from a Typhoon. He had no words, nor no plan that took this move into account. He was at a loss to both explain the sudden development and also the unexpected arrival. He could, however, not think clearly now. He needed time to his quarters. Reaching to his back pocket he made a light hand signal, undistinguishable to normal observatory eyes. The signal was picked up on by his head servant who then passed the signal to another servant, and etcetera.   
Then, Maxra made his move, "Emperor, I would like to thank you for this undue promotion. I cannot express fully my level of gratitude nor convey accurately my doubts in the abilities you feel you have witnessed. I therefore invite you to a royal dinner in my personal cabin in which you and I can discuss this promotion. Perhaps there I can…"   
"General! General!" came an officer running up to him.   
"WHAT!?" the general spun around to glare at the officer, who seemed honestly upset.   
"General, the bridge requests your presence immediately in Tower 2. Urgent matters are at hand."   
"There is no matter that supercedes the precedence of the His majesty!" he was a very good actor, and the anger was palpable.   
"But sir…"   
"Guards!" the general shouted to the men behind him, "Arrest this, this nuisance at once, and have him beaten severely for his obvious lack of discretion!"   
But as the guards started towards the 'scared' guard, the Emperor also made his own move. Without even a trace of movement, he gave his own guards the right impression. Suddenly the two to his right and left leapt up and drew their Drechens (ancient Imperial sword) and sliced the head off the officer as well as his legs and arms. They then pulled out two guns and blasted dead the guards that had gotten up earlier. Then they returned to their seats.   
Maxra was dumbfounded; he looked at them in shock, but managed still to keep his body from displaying it. Slowly he turned to the Emperor. "I'd be honored, Supreme Commander, to join you at this dinner. It's too bad you must take your leave now. I'll have my men clean up this mess immediately, and be in your quarters in one tentra."   
The Emperor then turned and returned to his ship, as did his procession and Maxra made haste to the lavatory again, before moving to Tower 1.

***Goodbye is Not Forever***  
  
On the bed she cries, and he looks at her shivering body, her trembling shoulders.   
"Goodbye is not forever, Mei-Ling," Goken hugs her tight, 'Ah, Jeeze, Mei-ling, stop crying,' he thought.   
"How do you know that? You don't know Goken, if I will ever see you again!"   
_  
/Sometime in the months since their love first instilled itself with deep roots, Goken revealed to her his true self. He told her everything… well, almost everything… about the world he occupied that was the hybrid of reality, normality, and fantasy. At the time it had captivated her to hear the stories of heroism and power. Mostly she had simply humored his fantazations, hoping he wasn't really insane, but when he learned of her skepticism, he took her for the most magical flight a girl could dream of. Over the hills and mountaintops, rivers and waterfalls, the darkest jungles and longest deserts he flew her with her bosom tight to him. She loved him deeper than he would know.   
But now, she was seeing the truth of his double life, it was dangerous, threatening, and their new life yet to be was threatened. She was dying inside./  
_  
"Just trust me, Mei-ling, I know about these things," he lied.   
"It won't be hard, I just have to go away and train for a few days and fight this guy to save the planet, and then I'll be back."   
"What if," she looked up into his eyes, tears streaming, "what if you die? What if I lose you this day, I'll never see you again."   
'Aiwa!' he thought, 'Are women always so dramatic?'   
"Yes you will, baby, you will see me again," his words were assuring, confident, strong.   
"If I don't, I don't think I could live," she blasted that confidence with doubt.   
"Shh!" he cooed, "Don't say such things.   
"Besides, the world is never permanent, we all die sometime," his desperate words were not what he aimed for.   
She wailed.   
For a while there he just lay next to her, holding her heaving body as she released her worries onto the world, which had unkindly given them to her. He thought about them both, and about Centura, whom he had yet to tell of the affair. Secretly he feared the anger of his comrade, who was so deluded and desperate for affection. 'It will be dangerous,' he thought, 'more dangerous than this mission!' he looked back down at her soft skin that shook only so often.   
Finally she stopped trembling and just breathed, her body curled up like a sad child. He spooned her just right, his arms around her waist, but sex wasn't on his mind at all.   
'Has she fallen asleep?' he pondered, hunger was creeping into his stomach.   
Just then she spoke, "Goken, you cannot go, I can't bear it."   
"Mei-ling, you know very well I have no choice, and neither do you. The world needs me, and my father has spoken."   
"Please Goken, I feel as though something terrible will come of it."   
"Mei-ling, how can you speculate like that?"   
"Goken I am pregnant."   
It took about one and a half seconds for him to catch her words (ah, the timing of a woman, powerful). Suddenly he leapt from the bed like a burned grasshopper and was standing by the wall, holding it.   
"What!? What!? What!?" he was panicky.   
"Calm down Goken, please," she spoke softly, sitting up.   
"What!? What!?" he repeated.   
She stood now, the power of a woman greater than his now, and she approached him. His eyes glossed over with fear. 'Oh no!' he thought, 'What am I going to do?'   
"Goken, you can't go because I am pregnant with your child, and I can't raise it alone."   
"Mei-ling! How!?"   
"How do you think, Goken?"   
"But I thought…"   
"I guess it failed, but it doesn't matter, I am."   
"What are we going to do?" he was in shock, his breathing eratic.   
She stepped forward, and wrapped her arms around him, her head resting on his chest. "Marry me Goken."   
"Wha!? What!?"   
"Marry me, it's the only way I can have you forever."   
"Huh!? Are you nuts? We are so young!"   
She looked up to him, her eyes more powerful than they seemed. "Don't you love me Goken?"   
"Ye…yes, but Mei-ling," he protested.   
"Please marry me Goken, I cry at night without you, and if you die I cannot live with this child and no husband to stand next to me."   
_  
/How could he resist? Once again the folly of a man was to not think about the thoughts of his woman. All the while he had thought of her, she had schemed her victory, or at least the maximum victory she could achieve. Who says that women aren't warriors? They have been warriors as long there have been beds shared by the two sexes./  
_  
He thought quickly now, he saw his defeat. He could not win, only concede. "Yes, Mei-ling, I will marry you."   
"When?" she was quick.   
"Tomorrow, in secret, just before I go to the dojo."   
"I love you!" she screamed in delight and squeezed him tightly, it made his heart warm to have her near him.   
"I love you too Mei-Ling," and still his heart felt heavy. 'A child? I am but a child myself, how can I raise a child when I am so young? What have I done?'

***Friendship***

  
The air whipped them all like angry masters. It howled in deep-sung moans. It whipped their eyes and ears, their hair and clothes. The did not wince, however, it was a trifling force to deal with: wind. The three warriors flew across the land like ships in a seabreeze. None of them spoke to the other. Centura, for his part was staring at his uncle who led the way. 'He is so irritable,' thought Centura, 'I wish dad were still here,' his eyes lowered to watch the ground go by dizzingly, then he looked to Goken, who also flew silent. 'Why won't they talk!?' the silence killed Centura, he feared the silence.   
Goken noted Centura's gaze, 'I wish he'd quit that,' he thought.   
_  
/Goken was feeling extra guilty today, like a real traitor. In his mind's eye he could still see the wedding that had happened only a few hours ago. He had gripped Mei-ling tightly and held her when the pastor permitted. She cried when he left, her face half covered with joy, half shadowed with fear and anguish. She loved him, and he her, but more than he feared hurting her love with death, he feared hurting Centura with his 'betrayal'./  
_  
'How in the world am I going to tell him?' he thought, and just as Centura moved his gaze back to the ground, he looked at him. All Goken could see was a pool of pain: first his father, now this.   
'I must tell him!' Goken thought, 'But how can I? He's my best friend, and I have stolen his love. He'll be hurt twice. And what if he dies? What can I do then? He'll go into the other world a friendless bastard.'   
Odysean, for his part flew ahead of them like an immovable pillar. All the while he thought hard about the mission. Indeed he had neglected his training for quite some time in martial arts. He searched in himself for latent powers he had since lost. 'It's a good thing,' he thought, 'that these kids don't see my weakness.' He was indeed a weak man, always felt lower than his brother. He was always angry at him, jealous, lost, and when his brother got his glorious death he wished for, he suddenly was left quite alone in his patheticness.   
Twice since his brother's death had Centura's mother taken advantage of him, used him just to feel her dead husband. She was lonelier than he, but he thought she loved him, until in the middle of the night she pushed him away. 'You are not Aretay,' she spoke coldly to him, 'You wish you were, but you never will be.' The words echoed in Odysean's head always. He wept inwardly since that day, and had only further slunk into depression. He nearly vomited to see the joyful life of Gomen and his glorious son, and he feared greatly that one day Centura would dominate him so easily like Aretay did. Odysean was a sea of lost emotions and inexplicable musings of death. He was now quite hopeful. He hoped that this Sancoah would provide him the opportunity to finally prove he was a great heir of Vegeta and Goku too! Sur he wished they could defeat the guy and save Kami, but he wished more that he cold defeat Sancoah, or at least die with some sort of valor, to prove his life had not been as meaningless as it seemed.   
Together the three flew in the air like rays of hope streaking across the sky for children to look at and point to.   
Quite soon they arrived at the dojo and landed, in the short distance lay Satan City, a growing prosperous city of fluid life and economy. Culture and art had affluenced it like a magic wand, and on the outskirts sat the greatest martial artist's dojo of all mankind, the last pupil of Master Roshi, Master Tsu.   
It was a happy school, with its tall towers and quaint graveyard that sat silently in among the Ratrovia trees. Outside in the fields students of all types trained, they had just begun their exercises, stretching and meditating. There in the gardens adjacent to the class stood Tsu gazing at his ocarinas and lupidanias. The three landed softly behind him, raising the eyes of the students. Goken and Centura knelt before him, "Master," they spoke equally. Odysean remained idle, staring at him indifferently.   
_  
/The hatred of Tsu was an incomplete on in Odysean. Years before, like Goken and Centura, he was a student of Tsu's along with Gomen, Aretay, and Gojin. The four were inseparable rivals. Everyday their powers and abilities grew in heated contests. And all of them fought hard, especially Aretay. Aretay was the backbone of the team with he and Odysean. Together they fought the other brother-team, but not equally. Aretay did not mind much, in fact welcomed it, because it made him stronger than Gomen and Gojin. But Odysean became more and more dejected and soon it wasn't a matter of need that Aretay did this, but a matter of allowance.   
When it came time to receive their certificates, all of the four passed except for Odysean, because in truth he had far lagged behind the requirements. Tsu doubted the willingness of Odysean to continue, and in order to test him told him harshly that he doubted the strength of Odysean to continue. It went as he foresaw, Odysean wept and was humiliated, he flew off in hatred.   
But the hatred is still incomplete, because for as long as he has fled from his warrior past he has desired for the old man to forgive his cowardice, he was ashamed, but spiteful. The old man's words hurt because they were so true./  
_  
"You boys are late," Master Tsu turned to them, "I do not like when you are late!"   
"Uh," Goken stammered, "Master, we went as fast as we could."   
"In war, you must move one step ahead of the enemy, and no less. I am one step behind him, so how many are you?"   
They glared to the ground. Tsu looked up at the mopish Odysean. "Well, I didn't expect you to come here," he was harsh to the man.   
"Hmph," Odysean turned his head in disgust, "I didn't come for a lesson, I am just with them. Spare me your pity old man!"   
"Ha!" and the old man turned his gaze to Goken, "Has your father been heard from?"   
"No sir, we expect he has already arrived at the lookout and waits for us tonight."   
"I see," Tsu turned to the field, where the students now sparred in threes, "In my study are some outfits I have prepared for you, you two go change into them," he turned to Odysean, "I cannot give you one Odysean, for you never became a Turtle Warrior."   
"I don't want your gifts!" and at that Odysean walked off, acting aggravated and careless. Tsu knew otherwise.   
The two boys rose and bowed, then walked down the path to the corridor. "Can you believe," spoke Centura, "It's already been two years since we graduated the school?"   
"I know, it's hard to tell where the time has gone!" Goken admitted as they wlked together staring at the statues and structures – the dormitories for the students – the mess hall and inner sanctuary.   
"I wish I were here again, you an me, just fighting the time away. No worries, no growing up. Just the two of us battling from dawn to dusk."   
"Yeah," Goken replied, 'Please stop Centura,' he thought.   
"Heh, remember that day we got caught plucking Tsu's flowers for the girls at the bus stop down the way?"   
"Yeah, we had to do 5,000 push ups."   
"Yeah, but those girls sure did give us great big kisses!" he laughed now, thinking about the past.   
"Heh, they sure did," Goken saw Mei-ling's face now.   
"Goken, you remember that day we fought extra hard, in the field way out there, and we fought for hours and hours straight?"   
"Yes."   
"And at the end of the fight we fell over exhausted, and when we sat up, Tsu came over to us, and he looked me in the eye."   
"Centura, stop, don't do this," Goken looked at him sternly.   
"I miss him, Goken, I miss him everyday…"   
"Centura, I think I've had enough of the past, let's get inside and change."   
"Yeah," Centura murmured and looked out into the distance, "That was the last day I was alive," he said out loud.   
Goken wrapped his arm around his friend and walked with him into the study.   
The mockingbirds sing in the trees.   
_  
/Dear Centura,   
I doubt that when you read this, you will be able to understand, you are so little and young. I have a growing void in my mind, a growing feeling of emptiness. I try and I try to find solace in yours and your mothers' arms but I can't. I only see the great vast emptiness of my existence. My life's meaninglessness and triteness spurns me, mocks my dreams and my thoughts. When I see you I am not happy anymore, but sad: sad that you should have such a pathetic father without any glory to remember me by. You must be sad, boy, sadly disappointed I am your father and your uncle is a bigger loser than I am. Shame creeps into me know and I weep for your mother and you. But I cannot wait any longer for my powers to subside and my lust for glory to turn to bitter regret. I am going away, son, forever, and you won't see me again, maybe not even after death. Please don't think of me, it will only anger you that I was so weak. Just take care of your mother and your friend, they'll need your strength.   
  
Goodbye son,   
Aretay   
  
In the field Tsu gave this letter to Centura, whom in his anger tore it up and sped off into the night. Goken tried to catch him, but Tsu held him back, and spoke to him. "Your friend will need you Goken, from now on he is your burden to protect, you must do it without concern for yourself. You must be the truest of friends, you must protect him from himself."   
These words reverberated often in Goken's mind nowadays, as he noticed more and more Centura become inward and sad. He never handled things well after that, he was a nervous heap all of his life since that day./  
_  
As the two walked into the study area, they looked at the old pictures, the memories they held and they did not talk. Each wondered around in a different direction, staring at the pictures and weapons on the wall. Finally goken had had enough, and turned around to find the armor. 'Ah, here it is,' he stopped over to pick it up, 'It's so light,' he thought, staring at the blue and white armor with its yellow trim. He looked up, "Hey Cen…" he didn't see him around.   
Goken walked into the next room where Centura was gazing at the golden katana, "Tsu once told me it was a gift from a kai," Centura said, fondling the handle with one hand while running his fingers along the blade.   
"Yeah, that's what he once told me, too," Goken said, uneasy watching Centura play with the blade that way.   
"Hey man," he got his attention, and threw one of the armored suits at him, "heads up."   
"Wow, these are the ones?"   
"Yeah, feel how light they are!"   
"I can barely tell I'm holding anything but paper," he mused.   
"I don't see how they'll fit us. They are all so small."   
"Hmph, let's try 'em on!" and they both took off their shirts and tried sliding on the vest-like armor.   
"Unbelievable, they fit!" Centura projected, "quite well, like a glove!"   
"I am amazed they are so strong," Goken spoke in amazement too, "Come on, let's go show Master."   
"OK," he agreed.   
As the two walked, Centura once again fell silent, which was rare for him. As they passed the daffodils and the malocks, Goken finally spoke up, "Centura, you okay? You usually talk a lot more."   
"Uh, yeah, I guess this place makes me remember too much," he replied, watching Goken nod.   
A minute later he added, "Goken, I am worried."   
"Don't worry, we'll get Kami back and nail that bastard Sancoah!"   
"No Goken, I'm not worried about him," Centura lowered his eyes.   
"I am worried that Mei-ling doesn't like me."   
Goken swallowed hard, then spoke, "What makes you say that?"   
"I called her last night, and she seemed distant, like she couldn't talk to me. I felt like she didn't like me anymore. I guess I've been sensing it for awhile now," he was sincerely hurting.   
"I see," Goken's stomach churned, 'do I tell him?' he mused.   
"What do you think Goken, you're my only friend, do you think she hates me now?"   
'Damn!' Goken thought, 'What do I say?'   
"Of course she doesn't hate you Centura," he told the truth, "Why would she?"   
"I don't know, I just feel like she's avoiding me for some reason."   
"Eh, I don't know Centura, are you sure?"   
"Yes! Do you know something, Goken or what!?" he was in turmoil.   
Now was the moment of truth. And the truth was that Goken needed Centura in battle, and if he told him the truth, he was libel to fly off in hurt frustration and dejection. 'But is it okay to not tell him?' he thought as he stare into the hopeful eyes of Centura, 'No I can't tell him like this, I have to wait till it's all over. I've got to bide my time,' he determined, 'and protect Centura.'   
"Centura, the truth is that she is hurt because you won't ask her out, and she really likes you, but you haven't said anything to her. She's sad, you see?"   
"Really?" Centura's eyes lit up like Roman candle-fire.   
"Uh, yeah, don't worry about it now, man, come on, we've got stuff to do," he pulled on his arm.   
"Yeah! You're right, I can ask her out after we kick this guy's ass!"   
"Yeah, that's the spirit! Let's go!"   
And together the sprites ran down the pathway to the fields, where the students had sat down to picnic with the butterflies. Centura particularly ran with power and speed, like a vindicated animal in a hurry to go back to his home. Goken lagged behind him, frowning, 'He is so happy, so why do I feel as if I have made a grave mistake?' Around them the dust twirled, making the butterflies scatter from their meals.

***Mind Games***  
  
Across Maxra, the emperor sat like a golden god, arrayed with the jewels of the most exquisite types. Metals or rarity and stones and gems shined from him like a tiny galaxy of bright stars. The general, himself, was dressed quite well, but never would he attempt to be as handsome as the emperor. For as delicate as the emperor looked, truthfully he harbored a vicious heart and strong mind. He was cold: he had all three of his wives beheaded on their wedding days simply because they had made some mistake in how they dealt with him. Rumors were that he did it really because he could not have whom he had always wanted, simply because she was a servant. Rumors also were that he had had her killed.   
So the word of mouth, rumors, various known facts and myths, always proceeded the emperor and in fact it was a strange set of events indeed that Maxra was 'graced' by his presence at all. Maxra knew that something must be up if indeed the emperor would share a meal with him, was it the promotion?   
Maxra, as tough as he was, dared not return the cold stare of the emperor as he sat there. The staring at first had not bothered him, only seemed like a formality. But soon, he became all too aware of the glare boring a hole in the top of his head as he ate his food. But he dared no address the emperor at the table, and especially after he had seen the punishment earlier.   
"So, general," the emperor finally spoke, not looking away at all, "Tell me what your next move is in expanding my glorious empire."   
"You holiness, I shall tell you everything.   
"The planet upon which you wish to establish a new colony is a dangerous heap of rubble. It contains both poisonous gas and acidic liquids that cover nearly three fourths of the surface. It has a large amount of competing organisms that must be annihilated if we wish to avoid suffocation.   
"After the base was established, we sent nemants to establish converters secretly in the polar regions. They are approximately 13% done with the atmosphere, but we're afraid that it will be nearly impossible to continue with it and the liquid conversion without alerting the population there. We do not expect much resistance but if we take them by surprise first, then we shall be much better off in taking the planet without damaging it by much war. With the copious amounts of flesh already there, we can easily feed the jubilai nafraxans that we will plant when replacing their forests. It has also been noted that the planet contains an extreme level of eron (iron) ore, and enough nexan to make sreek (steel). This will be perfect for quick production of Milanxanan (kichin).   
"After that, we play to set up wormhole inhibitors on the first, second, and ninth planets of the system. On the first planet we can set up perfect energy generators to harness the central star's powers and feed the colonization of the second, third, and fourth planets, as well as the military command of the moonbase. The ninth planet will thus provide a last stop for ships before heading out back to the central hub of Smargle."   
The emperor held up his hand, halting Maxra's babbling, "Very good, general, you seem to understand very well the capabilities of the military and the need to expand my empire. You serve your emperor well."   
"No sir, I am nothing compared to your lightness," the general bowed.   
"Tis true," the emperor conceded, "but for a military man and nobleman, you have done well. I have already informed you of your promotion, yes?"   
"Yes sir, I am to be the head of military defense for the empire?"   
"Yes, and I have something else to tell you Maxranoma."   
"Do not hesitate to request anything of me sir."   
"You, general, are to wed my daughter, Hildalin-Nishara-Fanalsa,"   
The general looked up, he was so surprised he nearly fell backwards. "Pardon me, sir?"   
"You are to be my son-in-law," the emperor did not look like a loving father.   
"Yes sir, but…"   
"You question me!?"   
"No sir, I was just unaware you had a daughter or that she was here even!" he was truly surprised, "forgive me for my pestilent tone."   
"Hm, yes I have had a daughter for quite some time now, of your age, in fact. And tomorrow you shall both be wed in the presence of the council."   
The general's head swooned, 'He is so powerful, he is impossible to judge for sure,'he observed the emperor's glare grow sharper, 'time to react.'   
"Sir it would be an honor to marry your beautiful daughter and be your honorary son. I can offer you much glory and strengthen the family name enough to make you proud. Whether in battle or in honor I shall never fail you," he hoped it was enough to convince the emperor.   
The emperor smiled, and suddenly it seemed as though the general had actually won the battle of the minds. He too smiled.   
_  
/The emperor was known most of all for his kindness, for he genuinely lacked it so much that people knew him as beyond evil. But he was known to reward his people often enough to perplex them and keep them under him. He knew how a good gift could make someone serve him better and doubt him less. Besides that the power of gift-giving was strong and the rumor of receiving a gift from the emperor was even more powerful. It tied the people together, made them love him more and it the desire to have such recognition by the emperor drove people to do literally anything he commanded. He once had a man kill his entire family, father, mother, wife, children, and also his friends, just so he would receive a gift from his eminence. And when it was done, the emperor gave him a gift, alright, a poisoned fruit. The Smargleoid was so happy he ate the whole thing up and did not even lose his smile once even when the fruit consumed his life. It made the emperor laugh!/  
_  
"But there is one thing," the emperor said, "that I want you to do for me."   
"Anything, my lord," the general replied, knowing full well he could say nothing else and should expect horrible things.   
"I want you to investigate a treachery."   
"Treachery?" he echoed.   
"Yes, I have heard that a traitor is lurking in the midst of this military and I fear an assassination attempt on either you myself, or my poor daughter."   
"…I see…where have you heard this?" the general was starting to sweat a little bit.   
"A servant told me she had learnt of the rumor through a drunk soldier, said something about, 'the plan'. What have you heard?"   
The general was a bit confused. It was true that soldiers might be planning something against the emperor, but he doubted it, especially if the emperor was actually there. Rumors were always truer when farther from possibility. But, how could anyone know of his own plans? He had spoken to Sancoah personally, a while back, alone. He had used every trick in the book to get alone and be kept in hiding. What was he to do?   
"I have heard nothing, my lord, but I assure you that I will slay any traitor I find and spare no personal expense in conducting my investigation!"   
"That is good to hear general, it is nice to know that I can trust you," and for the first time the emperor sounded so sincere and weak the general could not find a single trace of malice, he determined that the emeperor was speaking honestly.   
"My lord, think nothing of it, for you and the glory of your empire I would do anything, even take my own life," he bowed his head, and thus did not see the emperor's face briefly become smug and his left squint at him.

***First Encounter***  
  
As the sun began to fall along the horizon, the three warriors shared a cup of tea with the Master in the garden. The old man was totally aware of the staring Odysean did, but paid no attention to it, instead he focused on Centura. 'My how his demeanor has changed since he came here… can it be the armor?' he felt doubt about the origin of this inexplicable change. Thus he concentrated his powers a bit more and searched the thoughts and ki of the young man.   
'Ah, there it is, yes, the source of the power, he is a beacon of hope indeed!' and the old man almost smiled till he felt Goken's ki then, 'Oh no, Goken, what have you done? Hmm, did you really think you were doing what you thought, protecting Centura? That is beyond possibility, dear boy, you are now the one who need protection, what a downward path you take!' The old man frowned, and now spoke up.   
"It is almost time for you three to leave, do you have any questions?"   
"Master," spoke up Goken, "What advice can you give to us, what can you tell us of the enemy?"   
"Hmm," he grunted, looking to Odysean with doubt, "This enemy is not powerful, but has other traits far more dangerous. He is more cunning than a fox, and faster than a mongoose. His strength lay in his powerful mind that has planned out every minute detail to the point that even Sun Tzu could not easily foresee the reality of the battle. He has technological prowess and has been trained in the dark arts of Yillani, an ancient art older than Nin-jitsu, and in fact it's parent style. I doubt that you will easily convince him to give up.   
"Your advantage is justice, teamwork, and purpose. If you trust in Ki, it will guide you rightly and so you will conquer this foe. But do not feel that things are always what they seem, or else your advantage will quickly become a weakness…"   
"Ha!" burst out Odysean, "Listen to this old fool talk, I am leaving for the lookout, you two can catch up when you finish with listening to this old hermit!"   
"Hmph," the old man grunted as he watched the man turn, then take off for the lookout.   
"Don't mind him my pupils," he spoke, especially to Centura whose head was lowered in shame.   
"We know, sensai," Goken spoke, "thank you for the armor, I guess we had better go now."   
"Is there anything else you will need?"   
"No, sensai," answered Centura, "we will be fine. Thank you," and the two rose and turned to leave.   
"Goken, Centura, clear your minds of things that are less important, it is imperative that you focus on the teamwork and the enemy. To succeed you must go beyond yourselves."   
"Yes master, good-bye," they spoke, and ran off, then flew towards the lookout   
_  
/Atop the lookout sat Mr. Popo and Gomen eating their rice out in the open. Gomen was paying particular attention to his surroundings. He knew that as it was he was especially vulnerable because he was alone with Mr. Popo, a possible hostage, and he had all of the dragonballs. Thus he paid strong attention to his surroundings.   
He was right to do so, for there at the sanctuary, hidden in the shadows lay Sancoah, iuqua (sword/ki-gun) in hand ready to ambush the party of people. But he saw the readiness of Gomen and the power reading suggested that it was dangerous to fool with him at this moment. Besides this, he also knew the most appropriate time to snatch his bounty was when the enemy was comfortable in his superiority and left himself open./  
_  
Soon the trio arrived in file onto the lookout where they spotted Gomen sitting with a sack and Mr. Popo, eating rice. They walked over to him slowly, each looking around for the enemy.   
"Father," Goken spoke up, "Have you got them all?"   
"Shh! Foolish boy!"   
"Uh, I'm sorry." He lowered his head.   
"Oh Gomen, what the Hell are you afraid of! I wish this bastard'd just show his face right now so I can avenge Kami! Let him hear us! The coward will pay for his actions!"   
"Ha! That's brave talk for you Odysean! Boys, what are you wearing?" Gomen asked them, leaving Odysean to spite him with irritation.   
"Master Tsu gave these to us! They're light as a bird, and they are same kind of armor our ancestors fought Cell with!"   
"Gomen," spoke Mr. Popo, "I believe that I have another just like it laying around, would you like me to get it?   
"Sure, that sounds like a good idea, is there another for Odysean?"   
"I don't know, but perhaps."   
As Mr. Popo turned to leave Gomen dropped his guard and began to inspect the armor, it was hard for him to believe that Tsu would give such prizes to the boys. He felt sorry for Odysean then.   
Suddenly a streak of light slid across the balcony and a loud thud was heard. All of them turned just them to see a figure, half dark, half invisible hovering over the body of Mr. Popo. His iuqua was lowered to the old guardian's servant, who lay unconscious.   
He then raised up a microphone like object and spoke into it, "If you move for even a second, I'll blast Mr. Popo here through the floor of this structure and let him fall to his death."   
Gomen and the others gritted their teeth with anger. "Grr… how dare you, you fiend!" Gomen shouted.   
"You have what I want, and I what you want. Don't be a fool, I can spare all of your lives and give Kami back for good if you just hand them over."   
"How can we know for sure you will do as you say?"   
"You can't, but it doesn't matter, because I have enough thermonuclear devices loaded in this lookout to vaporize the entire lookout. If you don't comply, I will be forced to use them."   
"You're full of shit," shouted Odysean, "Why don't you fight me like a man!?"   
The little translation box worked tirelessly to convey the message in Smargle. This box was a smart computer that had several complex algorithms based on brain-wave detection that decoded a language into simple basic Boolean logic and then back into Smargle or vice versa. Without it, things might have been a bit more difficult for the foursome, but either way, they knew the game being played.   
"Tell us what you want," demanded Gomen, "with the dragonalls!"   
"Although it does not concern you, I don't really care if you know. I have a buyer who wants them in his possession within the week. I always do my job, and you will not keep me from it. Hand them over now!"   
"How dare you, you bastard!" Odysean shouted suddenly launching himself at the villain.   
Quickly as he appeared, Sancoah disappeared, without harming Mr. Popo even for a moment. But Odysean was perplexed, he slowed to a stop and looked around.   
"Watch out!" Gomen shouted, flinging out an energy ball that traveled towards Odysean. Suddenly it was struck by an energy beam from above and the explosion sent the warrior and Mr. Popo flying. Quickly Goken flew to catch the servant and took him down. Meanwhile Gomen, hesitant to leave the balls alone ordered Cnetura, "You stay with the dragonballs!"   
With that he launched himself upwards at the enemy he saw hovering in the air. "Got you!" But Sancoah was fast, and he thus disappeared.   
Goken came down next to Centura with Mr. Popo, who was slowly regaining consciousness. "Centura, we need to take the dragonballs outta here."   
"You're right, but what about the others?"   
"They can keep him at bay, I've got a plan." Goken reached down and took out three of the balls.   
"Here, put one in your sack and I'll keep one too. The other we'll give to Gomen when he's got a chance. Now, in a flash I'll be right back!"   
With that, Goken dove off of the lookout while above in the middle of the platform Gomen practiced his turtle style against the cunning of Sancoah, who althought in grave danger, remained very calm in the face of the danger from Gomen. Deep, gaseous breaths that were calm as the sky could be heard coming through the mask over his mouth.   
Down below, Goken stopped at Korin's. "Korin!" he went running into the quarters.   
"Yes?"   
Goken almost fell over when he saw what he saw in there. On the stool sat another Korin, much younger and healthier, white as snow, talking with the real Korin. But he didn't have time for explanations. "Korin, the enemy has arrived, I need something!"   
"Well, what is it boy?" he demanded.   
"Do you still have those fake dragonballs that were used to trick Emperor Pilaf?"   
"Yes, you want them?"   
"Yes, hurry, I need them!"   
Korin walked over to a closet, opened it up and pulled out the sack of fake dragonballs. "Here you go," he handed them to him.   
"Thanks!" and the youth took off again, leaving Korin smiling and the newer Korin look-alike buggy-eyed with confusion.   
Up above Odysean had awoken from his short unconsciousness and was gazing directly above him at the battle between Gomen and Sancoah. Angrily he grit his teeth and flew upward shoulder out. But just as he was about to pound into Sancoah, the clever enemy grabbed hold of Gomen and slung him directly into Odysean, sending the two crashing down.   
'Hurry up Goken!' thought Cnetura, as he held his anger back as much as possible. It irritated him to see the old men having neglected their skills so much that they would lose to this amateur.   
Suddenly Goken came up with the sack in hand. Quickly he started rummaging through the sack and replacing the dragonballs at random. "Took you long enough!" Centura shouted.   
Meanwhile Sancoah pulled out his iuqua and fired a strong blast towards Gomen that he narrowly avoided. The blast went straight through the floor and out the bottom of the sanctuary.   
Then Sancoah turned to see Centura facing away and Goken playing with the dragonballs, obviously up to something. He frowned and fired the iuqua at them.   
"NO!" shouted Odysean as he say the trigger pull. Centura turned back around just in time to see his uncle leap in front of him.   
White light brightened the atmosphere with hatred. Their eyes burned and the air suddenly smelt with cooked beef. Goken whipped his head up and held out his arms, and Centura fell into them, while the sack of balls fell from the lookout. Sancoah seeing his opportunity took off after them, and soon he held the sack in his hands and vanished as fast as he had appeared.   
"Oh no!" Gomen shouted rushing to where the three lay.   
"Father, after Sancoah! He has the dragonballs!" Goken shouted, until he saw what Gomen knelt over.   
There at his knees, in front of Centura lay Odysean with a hole through the middle of his chest. His eyes were steaming with their heat, open, and smiling. Goken looked then at Centura, he had merely a brown mark on his armor, which has protected him from the force of the beam, but knocked him down. "Odysean…" Goken stuttered.   
Gomen leaned back and yelled, "You bastard! Sancoah I'll kill you for this!" and then the man fell over and started to cry, "Odysean, you fool, you didn't have any armor!"   
Suddenly a voice above them spoke. "Heh, finally the idiot got what he always wanted," Gomen and Goken raised their heads.   
Above them stood Gojin, adorned in an orange and blue gi, box in his hand.   
"Brother!"   
"Uncle!"   
"It's been a long time, Gomen," the warrior above them spoke, "I have come to tell you that worse things are yet to come. I have foreseen it," and the warrior looked to Goken and smiled, "you are a good friend Goken, and very clever, the Earth owes you."   
"Uncle! Where have you been!?"   
"I have been in meditation and training for twelve years on the other end of the galaxy, and I have come back to warn you of the new dangers. You think Sancoah's goals are sinister, you don't know the half of it."   
"What do you mean, brother?" Gomen stood to look him in the eye.   
"War is coming, Gomen, we must prepare for it."


	3. Chapter III

***Chapter 3:***  
The eagle swoops downward towards the prey,   
the snake catches its shadow.

***The Razor's Edge***  
  
In his room, Maxra sat with his back against the wall, while in his hand he fiddled with an old trinket given to him by his father. On the back was engraved in Smargle, "Honor, Courage, and Duty". It was the last gift Maxra ever received from his father who was assassinated when he was merely a child. In silent meditation Maxra recounted the events of that fateful day.   
_  
/Outside, the leaves of the trees on Smargle had been falling. What a gorgeous day it was! The two suns had decided to burn a low blue that day, and in the limelight he watched his father walking with his mother as he sat on a tree limb. He breathed easy that day, his father had finally retired from the military, given up being a general to spend more time with them. The flowers of Smargle emitted their strong scent of sweetness, meanwhile Maxra gazed at his father's form. He was a powerful warrior, standing well over 3 zeus (2 feet/zeus) and with long flowing general's hair dangling down around his elbows. His mother was beautiful too, he thought, but his father was a powerful being, and he admired him. Slowly Maxra reached into his pocket and pulled out the new little trinket of his father's. The one they gave to him for retirement. As he read the inscription, he ran his little fingers over the word duty.   
Suddenly a streak of light shot across the air and he heard a scream. He looked up in time to see a second shot streak out and strike his father who held his mother in his arms. 'I don't deserve this!' were the last words he muttered as soon a red beam burned his head right off his shoulders, while the silver clock descended to the ground, bouncing off of it like a ball, forever breaking, leaving the exact time and date of his father's death permanently fashioned on its face./  
_  
As Maxra turned it over again to look at this time, he remembered how he had taken military matters to heart since then, always planning out his revenge and looking for the person whom had robbed him as a child. He had often come close to learning who it was. Once upon a time he thought it was Sancoah, but then he found more and more evidence that it was indeed more likely to be the emperor's guards than Sancoah. Sancoah had actually been too young at the time, really, to be a good assassin. But it still perplexed Maxra to no end as to why a retired officer would be worth assassinating when in fact he was no longer any threat. It was obvious that he knew something that someone else wanted kept a secret. It's hard to know if it was even the emperor, assassinations were, after all, quite popular on Smargle.   
But the more he thought about the actions of the emperor, analyzed them and searched the motivations and eyes of that emperor, especially after the dinner, the more he became convinced it was the emperor behind it. And he thought he even knew why.   
Suddenly a comlink buzzed on his wrist, "General, you have an incoming caller, requesting a secure talk with you."   
"I'll take it in my sanctuary."   
The general rose and walked over to his sanctuary, and entered the personal code to open it, also punching in the last time he used it, "The have been no uses since that date," the computer declared.   
He stepped in a shut the door, "Computer, top security level, no one enters twenty zeus of the shell!"   
Then he picked up the receiver.   
"General," it was Sancoah, "I have good news, the package is in my hands."   
"Good job Sancoah, you have done what I asked then? And just in time too."   
"Yes, now let's discuss my payment."   
"First tell me how I can get a hold of my cargo."   
"We'll meet at Knogonodiscruxy (coded language for hangar 15, junction 6) tomorrow at this time. It'll be extra for the earthling you need too!"   
"Alright, I'll have your payment ready," and he hung up.   
'Sancoah sure is being extra careful to use coded language kroshdulge,' thought the general, 'he obviously does not want to be caught with my cargo.   
'Well, this will work right into my plan,' he continued to scheme, 'I'll first marry the daughter of the emperor and than head to the moonbase to get my package. There I'll start the war and use the cover of the attack to escape to the planet where I can use the treasure!   
'Then I'll finally get my revenge against that bastard!'   
He smiled and went back to his bed and lay down to sleep, not forgetting of course to hook up his dream prohibitor first.

***The Life of Son Gojin***  
  
The four warriors, along with the dead Odysean and Mr. Popo returned to the dojo. There they buried Odysean along with Aretay and the other members of the family and the boys set off on two missions. Goken went to get his mother and sisters to the Brief's mansion, and also Mei-ling, and Centura went to the mansion to prepare supplies to take the entire family to the countryside.   
Meanwhile, around the fires, while Mr. Popo wandered about cleaning, Son Gojin told the story of how he had traveled the galaxy in search of the answer to a question that plagued his mind: 'What is Ki?'   
"It was the day after we were announced to have passed or failed our tests. I remember how happy you and Aretay were, while Odysean was apprehensive, he knew he was failing. Anyhow, thereafter I went to nap in the graveyard with my ancestors and dream with them, to shard with them the successes of our brotherhood. They were lonely.   
"When I had at last fallen asleep I dreamed that a beautiful woman came down to me from the clouds and she told me that I was a special person, that I was to come with her on a journey. And I asked her what her name was, and she told me: Ki. I was amazed and in awe at her beauty, I had never seen energy as a woman before, but I was in love with whatever it was.   
"The next day I went to the Brief's household an don loan borrowed a spaceship to take me across the galaxy where I felt a faint whisper of Ki in the universe. I was as though a zombie, a fairy caught in the whimsical magic of some distant place. And I left."   
"What," asked Tsu, "Did you find?"   
Gojin stared then into the fire, smiled a bit out of the corner of his mouth, "I found everything a man could hope to find. I found terror and triumph, and I found worlds of fantasies and delusions, I found love and hatred. I found, in truth, myself."   
"But did you get the answer to your question?"   
"Yes."   
"Good," Tsu declared.   
_  
/Gojin was the kind of warrior all the students aspired to be, spiritual, surely, strong-minded, and content with linear progressions. He set goals and attained them, and his preciseness was something in a student that Tsu admired. He was Tsu's favorite, in fact, and it broke the old man's heart to find Gojin gone the day after the recognition. He had hoped he'd become a helpful teacher to the others. Tsu meditated all day long in search for his pupil, only to end up hearing words of solace from Kami. "He's gone on a heavenly sent mission, you've done your job Tsu, now see the results."   
Tsu saw the results now, and he was impressed. But no more than he had been, it seemed as if nothing in the universe had changed the warrior, as if he merely validated everything he had learned and been taught, and was now back, content, and ready for the next phase of life. He was a strong hero, the kind that could hold the world on his shoulders if Atlas felt tired…/  
_  
Gomen sat gazing at his brother, not really jealous, but curious.   
"Gojin," he spoke at last, "How do you know of the perils of the planet?"   
"On my way back I spent time on the distant planet Smargle, an empire that extends quite far out in the western galaxy. There I lived for a time, as a guest, and in relative ease. It was tough to train there, the entire planet was CO2, but I did manage, enough to enjoy the subtle beauty of the planet. They have a really advanced culture there, you know, strong culture, profusive.   
"But I soon became aware of an evil presence haunting me in my sleep. When I would sleep this phantom would stalk through my thoughts, searching for something.   
"One night I dreamt of the dragon and I dreamt of wishing I were home, I had come to miss my family, and when I was granted my wish, I soon saw that it was not only I who had seen the dragon's power, but another being, powerful and dangerous. He heard my pleas and saw my wonderful treasure from home.   
"It was the next day that I learnt the military was on the move again, for the first time in several years. I learnt of their origin, and I knew I had better come here. If it hadn't have been for the black hole outside of Modula 7, I would have beaten them here. I nearly lost my way along the event horizon, but let's just say a greater force than black holes helped me out of my predicament. Soon I arrived in the Solar System, to find I was too late. The Smargleoids have occupied the whole of the far side of the moon and also Mars, and they have nearly completed their preparations for invasion. Worst yet, they will use some of the worst methods of conquering when they begin, and they will succeed even if we find alongside our race, because they are led by General Maxranoma, the ruthless genius of war.   
"We must make an assault on his base, and take back the lost dragonballs and Kami. The fate of not just the planet rests on this, but also of the universe."   
"Who is it that Sancoah is selling the dragonballs to?"   
"I would say the emperor, but if I suspect rightly, I would also count on the general to make his mark on the search for invincibility," Gojin answered Master Tsu.   
"I hope the boys have done their jobs already," Gomen spoke.   
"Where, brother, by the way, is Aretay?"   
He looked into the eyes of his brothers and saw immediately, "I see, hmm," he pondered for a moment, "and now the boy is all that remains of his clan while ours remains strong?" Gojin frowned, "I should never have left, it only pushed aretay deeper to his insanity.   
"It was never your fault, Gojin," spoke Tsu, "He was infatuated with the glory of Goku and Vegeta."   
"True, and now the boy is a lost sprite as well. I feel something in him, I can see it: hope for the love of another."   
"Yes," spoke Tsu, "what started off as lust for a girl has turned to love of hope, and your son," he turned to Gomen, "has became involved with this girl, and is now stuck between sharing her love and protecting his friend."   
"Goken can handle himself, Master, don't worry about that," Gomen declared, with pride, then turned to Gojin, "Let's just hope he can handle taking care of the family enough to get them out to the old homestead."

*Exodus*  
  
Goken had brought his mother and sisters by plane to the Briefs mansion, as well as he brought a somewhat bigger Mei-ling. The plane ride tore Goken apart because although he wanted to hold his love again, he could not in front of his mother, despite the fact that she knew the truth. He sweat, however, not about this, but about the impending danger. It seemed that at any moment the entire planet could catch fire and become a graveyard.   
When finally they arrived at the mansion, they found Centura yelling at his stubborn family. Goken landed the plane and got out to go over to them where Centura was ranting at his mother and stubborn family.   
"Hey man, what's up, we need to go!" Goken shouted at him.   
"I know!!" Centura glared at him.   
"But my damn family says I'm crazy and they aren't going to go live in the country, and my mother says she isn't going unless they all go! I can't stand it anymore, I'm going to go insane!"   
"Rosetta," Goken's mother pleaded, "please come with us, the boys say it's a terribly important thing."   
"I know that, but my family comes first, before me. You should all go, I wish I could convince them to leave, but they think we're all insane nowadays," she flailed he arms to point to the family that was walking back inside, annoyed with Centura's rantings.   
"But you don't want to die, do you?" deep down she knew the reason Mrs. Briefs was refusing: she wanted to be dead with her husband too.   
"Well, I figure I had better be there for my family just in case, and if something happens the eternal dragon can return things back to normal."   
"I guess you are right, Rosetta," they smiled at each other.   
But Centura was about to flip his lid and start raging, he was ready to grab his family, throw them in the plane and take off before they could have the chance to protest. Goken saw his friend starting to lose it at this ridiculous insanity and moved to stop him, when Mei-ling came out of the plane.   
Centura, for all his anger, stopped dead like a frozen bird, and his arms sagged down to the ground. Goken looked at him, and then at Mei-ling, 'Oh shit, she doesn't know what I did,' he thought.   
"Mei-ling…" Centura could only stammer.   
"Hi Centura," she said and then turned away.   
The two ladies and the sisters looked at the three of them and knew right away, soon Goken's mother spoke up, "Goken, it's time we be going, you'd better go with Centura to the school now, we can fly to the homestead alone."   
"Uh, yeah mom, you're right. Centura, it's time we be going."   
Centura nodded, but started to step towards Mei-ling, not even noticing anything about her, just her presence. But Goken grabbed his arm and yanked hard, "Come on bro', let's go!" and he flew off with Centura attached to his arm, th both of them looking back at Mei-ling, whom stared into Goken's eyes – her stare could easily have been mistaken to be at Centura's as well.   
_  
/The wisdom of women is an interesting thing. Often it is not logical or straight forward, but intuitive. They are weak, yet powerful creatures, and if anything, they can see right through each other. It was on the way to the homestead that Goken's mother worked up the nerve to stare into Mei-ling's eyes and see the truth. She was not angry however, not happy, but not angry, for she saw the strength of their love months before. She saw it the night the two had met. It was as though the guardians deemed it from the beginning.   
Goken's mother was a very wise woman to begin with. She was the daughter of a farmer in the village near the school, before the city had overrun the countryside. There she had attended school, and there she had met Gomen. It was a Tuesday afternoon and she and her friends had come back from school. When she began to walk home, she felt a strange urge to wander off into a field. When she did, she stumbled upon Gomen playing a game in the sand. They were extremely young children, only about six or seven, but she knew from then on, as she sat and watched him at play, that he was the one. She schemed for the rest of her life to get him, and get him she did, just before he went off to south city to live.   
Now she saw the same tactics in Mei-ling, the scheming to retain Goken's love, and she did not hate, she felt love for her new daughter. She felt sorrow too, because they had just begun their love, and already it seemed possible that death could come to them all./  
_  
"Mei-ling," Lila spoke to her, then stopped when she saw the eyes of a sad Mei-ling move to look at her.   
Lila waited a moment more, and watched the girl as she stared out the window. "Mei-ling, you'll see him again, don't worry," she soothed her.   
"I hope I do," she answered back.   
"You will, after all, Gojin has come back and Gomen and he are the most powerful people on this planet, after that is Goken, and you know Centura won't let him die…"   
"Hmm, Centura," she shook her head.   
"Don't worry about it, he'll understand your feelings for Goken,"   
"But will he forgive Goken?" she asked the mother of three.   
"If Centura is not blinded by himself, he will see the truth, and no one can be angry about the truth."   
"I am just afraid, for them both, I feel like it's my fault, and I've put Goken in such a bad position," she sagged her head.   
"There are some forces in this world, Mei-ling, that are impossible to overcome, and love is one of them. You cannot change who you are like that," she said and snapped her fingers, "nor can you change others, you can only deal with them."   
"I guess you're right Lila," she spoke, then was silent, and then again opened up, "Sometimes I wish he and I were along, together, far away from this world, and we were on a farm raising our family. Sometimes family would come and visit, but mostly it was just us, and then I think of how things are now: how can I get what I want?"   
Lila sighed, "I have only been to the homestead once, Mei-ling, but I can tell you that it is the place where these things can happen. There you can find your love and live happily. And you will, when this is all over. I promise."   
Mei-ling whom had been staring at her throughout that sentence, hopped up and ran to her new mother, hugging her. She cried then, and the sisters only watched on, thinking to themselves that boys were often more trouble than they were worth.

*Delivery*  
  
On the far side of the moon sat the Smargleoids' impressive military base. The precision of the computerized military was unimaginable. Everywhere robots buzzed at work, hovering over the dust without concern for it or themselves, and the military personnel remained at work in the training facility practicing the invasion. There the army had set up gravity fields stronger than those of earth and the soldiers trained in them all the time. Only three things did the Smargleoid soldier due before an invasion: eat sleep, and train. They never even talked to each other, just military signals and looks, no talking. The were hardened veterans of conquering and because of their precision, their numbers remained low, around 15,000 or so. They trained with ki blasters, iuquas, plasma rail guns, light grenades, wormhole canisters, and most importantly the dreaded Drechen (imperial sword shaped like a katana, but made with Kichin and sabreteeth on the back).   
They were a clan of people, like family, but closer. They never doubted Maxra's orders, never thought for themselves (that was made sure of), all they knew was death. Looking on, it seemed to Sancoah that the robots had more life to them.   
"Ah, Sancoah, I see you've made it on time."   
The orange mercenary, staring out the window of his ship at some passing soldiers making the rounds, only replied, "You are late!"   
"Sancoah, this is time for celebration, you are going to be a very rich Smargle in a few minutes!"   
The mercenary then turned to face him, a smug face showing. "Whatever is the matter, Sancoah?" Maxra asked.   
"I was ambushed by several Saiyans on this mission," he replied.   
"Ha! No Saiyan can take you down, how many did you kill?"   
"Only one, they had ancient armor!"   
"You should have shot them in the head with you iuqua!"   
"Hmph, easy for you to say, these Saiyans were not your usual bunch, they moved faster and had no tails!"   
"No tails!? How is that possible?"   
"I learned that they integrated with the humans there. The fact is that the ones I encountered were descendents of Kakorotto and Prince Vegeta!"   
"Impossible!"   
"No, quite true, they are the reason this planet remains intact."   
"What are you saying?"   
"The majority of them are weak, but they are now aligned with a fourth brother, a great power. He will consume your armies in a flash of an eye!"   
"Impossible, Sancoah you exaggerate, what's your goal here? Is it money!?"   
"Hmph, I already command more money for the trouble I went through. Besides, I need compensation for losing some equipment."   
"Do you, or don't you have what I want?"   
"Yes, and I have the Namek as well, he contains much intelligence, your neural scanners will overrun with information," he smiled.   
"It won't be necessary, once I have what I want, I will not be needing him or his intelligence."   
"You refer to your wishes?" he eyed the general slyly.   
_  
/Sancoah was playing a dangerous game here. But he knew the aim and goals of the general as well as the emperor. He had correctly gauged and called upon the general, even despite the possibility of being caught on the military moon base! He was quite a mystical mercenary, and even the second best in the business wasn't half as good. Even if General Maxra wanted to get rid of Sancoah without paying him, the best he could hope for was doing it himself, a task he wasn't willing to undergo before he got what he sought. Until he could make such a daring move, he would have to play by the rules of Sancoah./  
_  
"Maybe, how would you know what I would do with them?"   
"I learnt of their powers on the planet…"   
"Well, it will do you good to keep that a secret, and hand them over as soon as possible!" he commanded, "Where is my package!?" he was getting irritated with the mercenary.   
"Ah ah ah," Sancoah waved his finger back and forth, "first let's talk money."   
"You agreed to a price beforehand!"   
"Yes, but at the time I was not aware of the importance of the mission, now I realize I was in too much danger, I require recompense!" he lied.   
"Grr! Sancoah, you are trying my patience!" he yelled inexorably, "How much!?"   
"Fifty million jubilee," he said matter of factly.   
"What!? That's my entire fortune! You cannot demand all of my money for this! You agreed to the job at merely ten million!"   
"If you are unwilling to pay…"   
"Fine! It will be done. Where can I pick up my package?"   
"When I have received the payment, the bank will auto-reply with a set of coordinates. The package will be found on Earth itself, and you can simply go there to do what you please."   
"I will send the money, only if you agree to be on video conference within the area," he replied, reaching into his pocket to pull out a phone, "Here, you must use this, it will tell me where you are. If you are anywhere outside of this moon base or the fourth planet, or if you are nearby a port, I will cancel my transaction," he tried to retain control over Sancoah.   
"Agreed, farewell, Supreme General," and with that the being simply blended into the background.   
'Yes, farewell, you cretin. When I get my wishes, you will be the second person I destroy, greedy demon!' he thought leaning against the railing, gripping it until it crumpled.   
Above him the hum of another load of nemants and soldiers was making it's way towards space in preparation for the invasion.

*Alert: Citizens of Earth Awake!*  
  
Early in the morning the four warriors awoke to the sound of an alarm going off in the distance. "Woahhhhhh!" it cried like the end of the earth was near.   
"What's that?" cried Centura.   
"That's the city's alarm!" replied Gomen.   
SoonMaster Tsu came running into the room where the warriors were sleeping. He ran to the nearby radio and switched it on. "…diately. Again, for those of you just tuning in, an alert to the population of the world has gone out. Early this morning, at o-200 hours Satan City time, a government spy probe satellite caught sight of an unidentified flying object landing in the northern polar region of earth. The military sent planes to investigate, and they were promptly shot down by two targets just twenty kilometers away from the suspected landing site. Later, at approximately o-420 hours, a scientist at the Briefs Center for Atmospheric Studies noted that a larger portion of carbon dioxide gas was being emitted from the polar regions than from even the cities! It was suspected that the alien invader theory could prove to be true.   
"At approximately o-450 hours the government of the Eastern quadrant was reporting attacks from a mix of air and ground forces that moved swiftly. By o-500 hours, the government of the quadrant was gone. Spy satellites, before being destroyed, revealed that the invaders were rapidly setting up station in that region.   
"At o-530 hours, the government of the Southern quadrant launched a nuclear strike on the base. The missles were redirected by computer hackers back to the bases where they struck South City. The Briefs technology centers were almost completely destroyed. The President has announced a state of emergency, and is ordering Satan city residents to evacuate immediately!"   
_  
/Already in the Eastern and Southern quadrants, the Smargles had set up nemant processing centers that began to quickly transform the environment, plant new, viscious vegetation, and systematically destroy the human population. As quickly as they were being caught, whole families, towns, populations were being devoured by the machinizations of the Smargle military. Ashes rained down from the sky like snow and children screamed to their mothers and fathers before seeing the world turn a reddish black around them. New terror had come upon the earth swifter than the light of sunrise, which could not be seen in this morning throughout much of the earth because of the thick ashes. The precision… the horror… it made the warriors tremble./  
_  
"Unbelievable! We go to sleep for five hours and the world is half destroyed!" Gomen shouted.   
In the background, Centura was weeping childishly, "…mother…" he cried and Goken hugged him, "Don't worry Centura, we'll get her back, you'll see!"   
Suddenly Gomen stood up, "We have to go now, we must fight the armies!" he cried, pointing out the window at the approaching vehicles from the west.   
Yet no one else rose. Tsu sat in cogitation and Goken consoling Centura. But most perplexing for Gomen was looking at his brother, who could only stare into the distance, teeth clenched and fists bloody.   
"…Maxra! You'll pay with your life for this! You and the emperor will drown in my tears!" he whispered angrily.   
Tsu looked up at him gravely, peering into his soul, and he shivered… 'What power!' he remarked to himself.   
"Gojin! Let's go!" Gomen repeated.   
"I'll kill those bastards!" Centura suddenly shouted, and stood, relasing a powerful wave of energy that knocked everyone a bit. "Argg!" and with a fit of rage, he flew out the window, blue aura circling his body.   
"Centura!" Goken shouted, and he and Gomen flew out the window as well after Centura.   
"Gojin, aren't you going to go with them?" Tsu asked him, bent over looking at the powerful man who bled from his palms and gums.   
"No, they can handle this, I have some unfinished business to settle. I'm going to look for the general in the Eastern quadrant. Tell them I'll meet them at the lookout tonight."   
And with that the venerable warrior flew out the window as well, only in the opposite direction.   
  
Meanwhile, above the skies, the trio of heroes had begun assaulting the air and ground forces with powerful ki blasts. Iuquas and plasma rail guns lit the sky like flashlights, in a mad attempt to destroy them. But the military had been taken by surprise and was forced to not only avoid attacking people, but retreat. They were suffering defeat steadily from the three who killed with their palms and heels and laser beam eyes. Centura, whom was a volatile child since his father died, suddenly found a peace in hearing the death curdling screams of the military warriors who wore masks and carried Drechens. In his mind he sang heavy metal songs of hatred and rage and in the heat of the battle he picked up two Drechens and began to systematically slaughter the enemy. Goken handled himself quite well, and managed to protect his father from any harm as well, noting the loss of skill in the old warrior, but he often stopped in awe at seeing the gentle young Centura who seemed so weak dismantle the entire military with his rage. 'He is a god of death…' he thought, watching Centura whack off someone's head while smashing another's with the hard teeth of the Drechen.   
Gomen and Goken preferred the peace and tranquility of fighting with their hands, but soon it became obvious to Goken that he needed to step up the power.   
Rising up to the sky he yelled aloud, "Cover your eyes, father, Centura! Solar Flare!!" and a bright wave of light lit up the city like day, and then grew to blind the entire military.   
Then bring up his right palm to face the military's technological barrage, Goken shouted out, "Take this! Hiyaa!" and using the Big Bang attack created a huge ball of power that descended and nailed the army directly in the center.   
Soon the light in the air grew again and the heat of the blast scalded the trio of warriors who watched as flames of hatred sucked the souls from the orangish demons. Around them aircraft began to turn around and fly away.   
"No you don't!" shouted Gomen, as he fired blasts like a gattlin gun from his finger, nailing each craft up to a kilometer away.   
It wasn't but a few more minutes later that the battle was over and the trio descended to the battlefield. There they puffed and huffed until they were recovered and then they looked around them at the carnage.   
Centura and Goken began to weep at seeing this destruction: they had never experienced death in war before Odysean, and this was far too shocking!   
"Where's Gojin?" soon Gomen asked himself, looking around, "He hasn't fled, has he?"   
Suddenly Master Tsu landed behind them. "No, Gomen, he has gone in search of the leaders of this terrible force. He has gone looking for the general, in the eastern quadrant."   
"Then we'll go too!" and he turned to fly, but Tsu interrupted him.   
"No, he says to meet him at the Sanctuary. He'll see you tonight."   
"But what if he needs our help?" asked Goken, looking up at the old man.   
"None of you can help him, he would only be burdened by your presence."   
"Is there anything we can do then?" Gomen asked.   
"You can hope, and believe. You must go to the Sanctuary to meet him, but along the way, you and the rest of my students will follow me into battle. We will systematically defeat the warriors of Smargle! It is not too late to regain our lost honor!"   
And to this the trio flew off with their sensai towards the school, preparing their minds for a new challenge and goal. They were going to defeat the forces of Maxra in one day! At least that was their hope.

*Double-Cross*

  
The general stood in the dark area of the hidden room. Around him only a light blue neon lamp glowed, humming softly. He was dialing a number. Soon the receiver picked up.   
"Sancoah?"   
"Yes," the voice of the familiar mercenary replied.   
"I am about to wire the transfer, have you set the auto-reply?"   
"Of course, and as you can see, I am still on this very planet, on the other side in fact, where your people have not yet started converting it."   
The general looked at the transmitter, it confirmed the words. "Alright, I don't think you can go anywhere, so here it is."   
He reached over to a computer console where a bank screen popped up and lit the room. First he entered his personal password, and then gave his digital signature, which was confirmed by the computer. Once he logged in, he went to the wire transfers, and entered in the amount. "Here it goes…" he whispered to himself.   
Instantly the transfer was made and a message popped up in front of him. "103 P by 23 Q by 756 R" (these are not earthen cardinal directions).   
He chuckled to himself, then said, "Pleasure doing business with you."   
"The pleasure's all mine," added Sancoah, with what seemed to Maxra must be a sly smile.   
_  
/Maxra had ordered the strike against the earth only a few earth hours before, and already they had dissembled most of the earthen forces. He was personally surprised at the minute resistance, especially when told about the family of Saiyan descendants there. He had not yet, at this point heard of any defeat at the hands of the Saiyans in Satan City, because it had not happened. But, then again, he didn't care about victory anymore. All he wanted was his treasure.   
With haste he informed his commanders that he was going to the base on Earth to better survey the terrain and get a feel for his next move. They were speechless, but no one dared gamble a word with the new son-in-law of the emperor: the Supreme General Maxranoma! Thus he left in his favorite shuttle, a very expensive model with a cloaking device and that could transport his favorite vehicle with it. He was going to need it after arriving at the base to go to the specified coordinates.   
Inside his little shuttle, which operated on its own and traveling kinematically without wormhole assistance, the general held his fathers watch in his hand, turning it over and over, looking at the inscription, 'Very soon father and mother, I will have everything back and more… and you will be proud of me!'/  
_  
The shuttle soon arrived at the base, where the general emerged to greet the four admirals of the army. When all the formalities had been disavowed, the general spoke to them, "Prepare my Flanvula! I am going out to survey the planet myself," he commanded, hiding his ambitions sloppily behind an air of military prowess.   
"But…" one of the admirals interjected, "General, you've just arrived!"   
The general turned to the questioning admiral and glared at him. Suddenly he pulled out his waist pistol and blasted the admiral right in the mask. Then he turned to the remaining three admirals, "I am the Supreme General, and I demand respect! You have all done a miserable job here on this planet! Why is it not conquered yet!?" he had no idea the answer would come.   
"But sir, the resistance from the Northwest has been strong, the band of flying warriors is defeating our technology. Can we not launch a nuclear countermeasure?"   
'So the Saiyans finally awoke, eh? I imagine they must be angry!' he thought, "No, you fool!" he retorted, "The emperor wants a healthy planet, and I will accept no substitutes! You will win this war within one pass of the sun or you will be beheaded! Prepare my Flanvula!"   
And with that he turned about and faced the sun, it was a bright one, but something about the planet seemed so beautiful to him, and he felt like taking off his mask. 'This seems so familiar to me… why do I feel as though I've been here before?'   
Behind him, he heard his Flanvula hit the ground and begin to hover. He turned around and walked to it. "I don't want any escorts, they won't be necessary!"   
"Yes sir!" the admirals shouted as they watched the craft rocket off into the distance. Behind them stood huge smoke stacks, churning out ashes and smoke that drifted into the distance with the wind.   
_  
/The drive was a long one, even for the Flanvula. The general mostly admired the beauty of this world, seeing the colors and the animal life that was so much gentler than what would soon replace it. The green fields, the blue-looking pools and streams of acid. He admired it for its simple elegance, and it's rarity. He had only seen one other planet as beautiful as this one, and it he had blown to pieces with the mega-iuqua. But he didn't really care. For him the universe was uglier than his black heart, all of life unfair and unjust. He would bring justice! He would get revenge and make things right! He would rule the universe with such an iron-hand that the people would cower in fear of his anger and remain at peace. They would loathe and love him. Fire of desire burned brighter and brighter in his eyes.   
Yet he felt a growing presence as well. Down in his heart he felt a sagging weight, a worry from somewhere. Was it the Saiyans, or was it the nagging feeling he had about his presence on the planet? He wasn't for sure, but he did not let him worry himself either./  
_  
Soon he arrived close to the location of the coordinates. Ahead of him remained a cave, with a wide opening, just wide enough to walk into. His heart sank, "Why did he have to go and hide the treasure in there!?" he said aloud, turning off the ignition and stepping out with his mask on.   
On his waist rested a Drechen and of course, his iuqua, which he was rumoured to have mastered the use of both. His eyes squinted at the cave opening, then he looked around him. 'Why do I feel as if I shouldn't go in there?' he thought.   
He again looked at the sun, then back to the cave. He began to walk, carefully not stepping in any puddles or on any plants. His breathing became shallow, and he sweat, giving off a powerful aroma of sodium hydroxide.   
Out of the corner of his eye, a bright flash approached, quickly he dodged the beam by jumping to the right. He reached down to his drechen as fast as he could, but as soon as he had detached it, he felt it become pinned to the ground and suddenly his whole body collapsed from a blow to his jaw. "Argg!" he went flying.   
A long time he lay in the dust, staring at the ants go by, thinking to himself angrily. He was somewhat afraid, but mostly annoyed. Soon he heard a voice, "Get up, Maxra! I know you are not dead… yet," the voice rang out across the distance.   
Maxra's eyes widened, and slowly he stood, and peered out across the many meters towards his enemy. "Son Gojin!"   
"Yes, it is me!"   
"Im.. impossible! You were dead!" the general muttered.   
"Hmph! Not yet, Maxra, but you were made to believe so."   
"What!? How is that possible, Gojin, how can you have remained alive?"   
Soon another voice, a powerful voice, coming from the cave echoed across the plains.   
"Because I kept him alive, Maxranoma, because he knew things, more than you learned from him!"   
"Emperor!" the general cried aloud, looking over to the source of the voice.   
The emperor, as well, was accompanied by a figure, in particular the orange, cold, tall figure of Sancoah. He stood just behind him with a smug smile running across his face.   
"Sancoah! How?"   
"Are you surprised, Maxra?" the emperor questioned him, redirecting the attention to him.   
Gojin had turned to face the emperor, sensing his energy, and he thus raised his power.   
The general, of course, had nothing left to say, and only stared, gaping.   
Around them, the quail fluttered and flapped their wings, taking flight from this field of nightmares… soon death would be reincarnated again.

*In the Meadow*  
  
Around the four figures the sun was shining bright while the clouds hovered slightly overhead with a tinge of gray in them. The birds had long stopped chirping and flown away. Water nearby in the soft pond rippled slightly with the light wind. Three of these figures wore masks, their green eyes shifting back and forth between each other and the black eyes of the lone Saiyan. They each had a feeling that something great was about to happen, only what, none of them knew, not even the emperor.   
"Gojin, it's been a while," eyed the emperor, speaking to the Saiyan warrior with a slight smile covering his face.   
"It has, your eminence. You seem well," he retorted.   
"I see you survived the escape without much trouble, I would expect tat, however from a Super Saiyan of your stature."   
Maxra blinked, and then looked back to Gojin, "He," he said, pointing to Gojin, "is a super saiyan?"   
"Yes, Maxra, has been ever since you left him on Fragader 12 to die."   
"Gojin, you must understand…" Maxra began to speak.   
"I do, Maxra, I do," Gojin replied, "The emperor ordered you to get rid of me, not surprisingly. He knew of my potential, and he hid that from you."   
"What? How could he know anything about you beyond your reputation?"   
"Because, Maxra, he's telepathic."   
The words took about two seconds to sink in, then Maxra turned to the emperor, "No…" but he was suddenly interrupted.   
" 'impossible?' Is that what you wished to say Maxranoma?" the emperor smiled, "It's true, Gojin was recovered shortly after his powers subsided near the brink of death. We took him in, controlled his mind so that he remained in a state of unconsciousness that seemed as real as life itself. It was only after he discovered my presence in his final 'quasi-dream' that he managed to awaken and escape. By then, of course, I had already left. His anger now, at you grows, because you were unaware, Maxra that this very planet you plunder in search for the Klasfugen is his home!"   
"What!?" Maxra could not believe, and then he realized.   
_  
/For several years, at least three, Gojin had lived with the Smargles on their home planet. His reputation as a fighter had earned him friends in high places, including the honorable Maxra.   
Late one day, after a sparring match between the two, when they had been evenly matched, Maxra had asked of Gojin to describe his home. And thus poetically and spiritually Gojin recited description after description of his wonderful homeland, a planet of vast beauty and blue hues mixed in with green. The beauty of the prose had not been lost in a translation box, Gojin had by then learned Smargleoid language.   
Sometime thereafter the emperor had come to call the general to him. He declared Gojin was a spy and ordered him to leave him to die alone on a deserted planet. The general could not disobey the emperor, and had no time to warn his friend. Thus he did as he was told, and betrayed Gojin to death.   
But the emperor had merely used Maxra, and taken Gojin in as described above. More important than his learning of the richness of earth, however, was his learning of the hatred for him in Maxra, the suspicion of the truth about his fathers' death. He determined then to let the rumor out of what he was looking for and of course ahd since played Maxra for a toy. He did not know, however, that Gojin whom had escaped would manage to get to earth in time, much less at this very moment that Maxra was to be utterly destroyed!/  
_  
"Gojin!" Maxra cried, "I… I didn't know!"   
"Does it matter, Maxra?" Gojin replied, stern as steel.   
"… eh…" he could only mutter.   
"You fool! You have made the same mistake as the rest of villainy throughout the ages! You have let greed consume you. You have even forgotten your revenge! Do you forget what lays on that memento of your fathers?"   
"What do you know of it!? You don't believe I would let my revenge never be!"   
"Then take it, Maxranoma, if you can," the emperor interjected, "for Sancoah here is whom I ordered long ago to eliminate your father!"   
"I knew it!" shouted Maxra after a moment.   
"Hmph! You are a fool, Maxra," replied the emperor, "to believe you could get by me. Your father thought he could manipulate me and hide from me things, and when he thought he could defy me with retirement, I showed him the truth! No one escapes my grip, and that includes you, Gojin!"   
The wind howled again, leaving the four still staring at each other.   
"Hmph, I have one thing to tell you, emperor,"   
"What is that?" he retorted.   
"That whether or not I die here today, you shall not become the god you believe."   
"You are no fortune-teller, boy!" he replied.   
"You are angry, eh, that you can no longer read my mind? Let me tell you why you are going to fail… your treasure hunter here, Sancoah has hidden from you the truth about the dragonballs. He does not have all of them, at least not all the real ones. He only has 4 real ones, because I have hidden the remainder."   
"What!?" the emperor turned to Sancoah, who was slowly sliding away, starting to morph into the atmosphere. The emperor ad seen the treasure and never bothered to test the mercenary's cool mind, he had figured the fool wouldn't dare!   
Reaching down into his side, the emperor pulled forth his Drechen and sliced at the mercenary, but he was too late, and the fiend had vanished. But then the two remained Smargleoids heard a thunderous yell, "No you don't!" and saw the body of Gojin turn a blazing gold, then vanish.   
Suddenly a flash of light let out and the body of Sancoah came crashing to the earth, impacting the dirt. Gojin soon appeared over the bleeding warrior. Sancoah, down but not out, began to pull his iuqua from his waist, and Gojin did not stop him.   
Then Sancoah stood, and leaning over, breathing heavy, he moved to strike, swinging down to Gojin with both arms in full power.   
But the warrior, the golden eagle, he caught the arms of Sancoah with ease, and he looked him into his eyes. "You killed one of my brethren, you will not live to enjoy your money! Instead I send you straight to Hell!" and he yelled in angry fire, and the aura of Gojin consumed the flesh of Sancoah like a whirlwind in a pile of leaves. Flames a atred licked his orange skin that became red and then black. His eyes trembled with terror, and soon he was dead.   
_  
/When Son Gojin awoke that day 4 years past, he found himself laying in the middle of a barren wasteland. His ears were ringing and he had a heavy, pounding headache. Hunger racked his abdomen like a ravenous wolf and thirst crept up his throat. So finding himself in that state was a strange thing, and thus he sat up and began to try and remember the past. Around him lay only vast purple dunes that whipped about the air with bitter tasting sand, the air was barely breathable, and his eyes had to strain to catch the light of the far off sun. He was shivering, as well, wrapped only in tattered clothing, which he found strange as well. The world was a confusing mix or reality and horror.   
He sat there for several hours, struggling to see the past, until at last the words, "I'm sorry, Gojin, I've no choice," rang in his head. He soon saw too the mouth, the source of those words. He felt a growing anger, more anger than he had ever experienced in his life, and he saw more and more the images of Maxra, his friend, whom had betrayed him to death here on this lonely planet.   
The longer he pictured it, and cried from the hurt, the angrier he became, and soon the rage swelled in him at the betrayal. He finally let loose this rage and found himself transformed from mere saiyan to super saiyan. He saw his power was great, and his aura golden, but it did not matter to him, and soon the energy wore away and he fell into slumber, awaiting death.   
It was not long after that when he awoke in what seemed like his home, only everything was askew. He spent the next three and a half years struggling to survive in this strange world, thinking he had gone insane himself and that he was a sick man. It was only after he caught sight of the figure that he began to realize his bondage and called to ki to help him. Once again the lady of light appeared, and she took him in her arms towards the gates of freedom. She kissed him and then he awoke. There he found surprised scientists who were about to inject some toxin into him.   
He escaped their tentacles, and from there, he continued on towards home, like a lost angel with no guide but the Light as his path./  
_  
"There will be no treasure for you emperor, nor for you Maxra," Gojin announced as he stared into the corpse that burned in front of him, a horrible scream captured on its face, "Only newfound pain, pain of the mind, body, and soul. I will give you twice that you gave to me, as recompense for the pain you have caused humanity and my family.   
"You," he turned to the emperor, "shall be the first to die, then the old friend," he pointed to Maxra off to his left. The three formed a triangle and in the middle lay the burned body.   
"I wouldn't go so far as to say that, Gojin!" the emperor declared, "For though I haven't all of the Klasfugen as of yet, I do have something integral to them," and at that, he pulled out a capsule and waved it in front of Gojin's eyes – Dende.   
"Kami!" Gojin declared, he was quite amazed that the Smargleoids had the capsule technology to keep people.   
"That's right, and now let me tell you what is going to happen," the emperor eyed him keenly.   
"You are going to go retrieve for me the dragonballs or else the Namek dies."   
"Ha!" retorted Gojin, "Nice try, but if he dies, you get nothing."   
"But if he dies, then you cannot ever bring the earth back to the way it was."   
"Do you think I am a fool?" asked Gojin, "When you get what you want, you will only continue to dominate the universe. Kami's life is not worth that!"   
"Perhaps, but what of your family's? They are in this capsule as well, your brother and the boys."   
"What!?"   
"Oh yes, and the black servant man from the lookout, caught all of them just today," he smiled slyly.   
"You bastard!" Gojin yelled out.   
"You have no choice! You will retrieve for me the Klasfugen or else!" the emperor commanded.   
Maxra still stood there in wonder at what was going on in front of him, he had never seen such an amazing power-struggle as this, and it seemed as if Gojin might lose. But what was most important about Maxra at this moment was his swelling hatred and guilt. He hated the emperor, his new father, with all that was in his heart because of the evil of this vile being and because he now was weighed with a terrible guilt for Gojin.   
For several minutes now he had been fidgeting in his pocket with the memento of his father's. He twisted it and turned it over in his hand, feeling the inscription on its backside and feeling it burned into his forehead. He saw the face of his father, looking on sternly as he explained the importance of the words. He winced, "Honor, Courage, and Duty" he mouthed to himself. 'Father, what should I do, what can I do?' he thought, praying to be heard.   
"He doesn't deserve this!" a voice replied, and Maxra looked over to see Gojin, and instead of the golden warrior, he saw the torment and pain of him. He realized that this warrior had been through more torment and anguish than he had ever known, and he owed him everything. He grasped the watch.   
"I will do…" but as Gojin spoke he saw suddenly a streak of silver dart across the meadow and smash into the capsule in the hand of the emperor.   
Gojin gave the surprised emperor no time to react, instead he let out a blinding "Solar Flare" and rushed forward, snatching the capsule before it hit the ground and the emperor could tell where.   
The other two remained blinded, but when they opened their eyes, they could not find Gojin. Quickly the emperor looked over to Maxra and growled and then, tracing Maxra's eyes, he turned around, where in the distance stood seven figures. In their front stood Gojin, defiant, smirking. He turned to Mr. Popo. "Take Kami away from here, somewhere hidden, and take the remaining dragonballs," which Gojin then removed from the satchels of Goken and Centura and Gomen.   
The emperor's eyes widened, he never thought that maybe those three had the remaining dragonballs! He gritted his teeth, and reached for his pistol at his waist, but suddenly a ki beam ripped through his arm from behind.   
"Argg!" he shouted, and twirled around to see Maxra holding his iuqua, staring coldly at him, "You fool, what do you think you're doing!?"   
"Doing what I should have a long time ago, taking you down!"   
"You idiot! Do you realize what power you are giving up!?"   
"Yes, but so long as I can put an end to your life, I don't need the Klasfugen. I can see my father one day, in Hell, but at least we'll be together. And there we can laugh at you together, because your soul will burn hotter than a thousand suns!" he grinned at the thought.   
The emperor stood there a long time, looking at him, then slowly he began to chuckle. This chuckle soon raised to a giggle and then to a laugh and then a roaring laugh. "Ha ha ha ha!" he laughed so hard it looked as though he would fall.   
"Do you really believe, Maxra, that I would let you kill me!?" he laughed so hard his eyes teared, "Me, the almighty Emperor? Me whom could crush even King Frost with my will!?"   
"I do believe that's what I said," Maxra replied strongly.   
"Hmph, you know what is special about your phone, Maxra? That little tool you used to check the coordinates… did you know that when it was designed that every single phone was made secretly with a grand override?"   
Maxra froze.   
"And that this override permission was designed solely for the explicit use of myself to kill whomever I pleased whenever I pleased? I'm afraid that for quite some time now, the mega-iuqua has been tracking your position from space and when I press this button," he held out his hand, while keeping a sharp eye on the Saiyans, "It will fire, and you will die."   
Maxra shivered, he couldn't believe how foolish he had been! Inside he was like a trembling child, he nearly urinated his pants now.   
Quickly Gojin turned to Gomen, and spoke, "You must fight on, my brother, good-bye," and turning back to the field made a mad-dash towards Maxra.   
The emperor, thinking he was under attack pressed the button, and in a flash the mega-iuqua launched it's powerful beam down towards the earth, and just as it was about to strike Maxra, he was displaced by the amiable warrior, the golden warrior, Gojin, whom received the full blow of the beam.   
At the same time Gomen had leapt onto the back of the emperor and broke his right arm in two so that the tool he held dropped to the ground. The emperor yelled in disgust and flung Gomen from him like a doll, but already Goken had retrieved the apparatus and destroyed it.   
Yet the emperor only smiled, for across the distance knelt Maxra over the burnt body of Son Gojin, whom had suffered the full weight of the iuqua beam without any armor, and was dying.   
Maxra flipped the body over, and soon the others came running to see. Lying there, Gojin's eyes were closing, but before they did, he reached up to Maxra and gripped the Smargleoid's hair, pulling him close, "Earn it," he said and looking to Goken then he smiled and then closed his eyes forever, dying there - in the meadow.   
Maxra, angry and bitter, but slow, pulled his iuqua up in his arm, and looked towards the emperor. There he saw only an open portal with swirling black ripples that slowly, if not surely consumed the body of the emperor until only a vicious face remained smirking at him, then disappeared completely. Quickly Maxra raised his weapon and fired at this face, but the portal vanished long before the beam arrived, and the machine that had provided it merely turned to ashes. The emperor had escaped!   
But to Maxra it did not matter – he would search the universe for the emperor and seek revenge - for with his friend, his care for his own life had also died in the meadow.


	4. Chapter IV

*Chapter 4*  
The eagle is bitten before catching the snake,   
he flies away hoping the poison will subside.

*Repercussions* 

  
"Emperor! Emperor!" a short young commander came running towards the smug-faced emperor.   
The emperor was in no mood to be harassed by the admiral, but without a general, he would now have to run the ship as the commander. His arrival had frightened the crew around him, as suddenly the portal on the main bridge opened and he came out, facing towards it still. The smile he had when he saw the hatred in Maxra's eyes was gone, replaced with this frown when he realized how much more difficult the task was going to be without Sancoah to aid him and with Maxra turned to a rogue. He gritted his teeth at the thought.   
  
The thing about the emperor was that he was never caught without a backup plan. When you played 'chess' with the emperor, you might see 100 steps ahead with what you were going to do, but he always saw one more step further. In this case, he had been carefully planning his moves for awhile, and now they weren't being modified, only he had to switch his set of planned attacks.   
The only thing, he had not counted on the possibility of happening, was Maxra surviving. He had read the dreams of Maxra, seen his drive, ambition for power, and he felt confident that this would be sufficient to instigate a battle between Maxra and Gojin, long enough for him to escape and leave Sancoah to the wrath of Gojin, who would have slain Maxra quite easily.   
But now he had formed exactly three new plans based on this calculation, and for each plan that went wrong there was exactly one alternative route of action that would lead him back to the path. He was cunning, indeed.   
  
The emperor removed the mask from his face, then turned to his right, "What is it!?" he shouted at the commander, gripping his drechen with his right hand crosses to his left waist, eyes glowering.   
The commander stopped short and gulped, eyes darting to the sword and then back, "General Maxra is missing, he was last seen on the planet!"   
"The general has betrayed us! He is a traitor, a rogue!"   
"Sir!?" he stared at the emperor for a while, then spoke again, "Your holiness, I must tell you that the bases on the planet have been half eliminated by the human resistance."   
"You mean the Saiyans?" he couldn't believe that, only a few moments before he had just been looking them in the eye.   
"No my lord, it's a band of human fighters who wield powerful tactics and can quickly move about with guerilla tactics."   
The emperor turned to face the planet again, and then squinted. 'Maxra, you think you are so smart, eh? I have one last trick for you yet, and when I have those Klasfugen, I'll eliminate this entire galaxy!' he thought.   
"Admiral, prepare the lenologence for gephon stage 8."   
"What!? Are you sure your eminence?" he was wide eyed.   
The emperor slowly turned to face him, eyes glowering like hot irons heated in lava.   
"You question my judgment?"   
"No sir!"   
With that the squat admiral ran off to make his orders and the preparations.   
The emperor gazing at the earth, stood smiling, feeling much better now with his plan in mind. For a long time he stood, but soon began to concentrate his ki and all his power into one task. Slowly he raised his consciousness until at last an image of a female Smargleoid came into mind. 'Felitria, my dear, can you hear me?'   
'Yes, my father,' came an echo back in his mind, a sweet, yet somehow cold voice of a young lady.   
'It is time, my daughter, did you do what I told you?'   
'Yes father, everything is as prepared.'   
'Are you ready for you to do your duty?'   
'Yes. For the glory of the empire, for you, father, I would do anything.'   
'Are you prepared to kill you husband?'   
'He means nothing to me, he will feel the sting of tears, blood, and agony.'   
'Good, leave immediately, slay anyone that tries to stop you. Bring me the Klasfugen and the Namek. Leave none alive.'   
'Yes, my lord.'   
And then he cut short their conversation, and he again focused on the earth, a broad smile donning his dull orange face.

*Forging an Alliance*  
  
"Thud!" a punch landed and a body was sent flying into the air, his shadow flailing dark limbs about, reaching for the ground, blood of green liquid raining down onto the dirt. When he crashed to the ground, it took Maxra a moment to look up and see the face of Gomen who stood in a tough post-uppercut stance, eyes glaring with hatred. He felt quite dizzy, he hadn't expected the shot, which landed, it seemed, as soon as he placed his eyes on the brother.   
"What the Hell do you think you're doing!?" he groaned/yelled across the field at the Saiyan descendent in the earth native's language   
_  
/While on the planet of Smargle, Son Gojin had made many friends, and because of this quickly learned the language of the people by studying the algorithms of their translator boxes. In similar fashion, but for no particular reason but curiosity, Maxra learned the native tongue of Gojin.   
They had a lot in common, and probably that is why this friendship arose as such a strong one. They shared common affinities for several ideals and values, and they both excelled in fighting. They were warriors and scholars as well, spiritual in many respects. Gojin even taught Maxra about ki, and the times they shared together gave each a feeling of brotherhood – that which Gojin had missed for many years and which Maxra never had.   
It was Maxra that kept Gojin around so long even when the living conditions were so rough for a human on Smargle. It was Maxra that made it possible and accommodated Gojin so much and made him so influential and powerful. They were symbiotic, charismic, they were friends, but some things never last. In Gojin's and Maxra's case, the thing that didn't last forever was exactly what brought them together so randomly and powerfully: trust./  
_  
"My brother may have forgiven you, but we never will!"   
"What do you know?" Maxra stood slowly, shaking in his knees as he spoke, "How would you possibly know anything about the man that saved me?"   
"I am his brother! And if there's anyone I know besides my wife and kids, it's him."   
The Smargleoid lowered his head, staring at the ground for a while, then got down on his knees. "I am truly sorry for your loss, I did not know."   
"The Hell with you!" and Gomen rushed forward at the Smargle, but an arm reached around his chest, a powerful arm.   
"Dad," Goken spoke, "Let it go, Gojin knew what he was doing, he had a plan, he chose for Maxra to live for a reason."   
The older Saiyan relented his strength and sank to the ground, a tear welling in his right eye, wobbling like jelly. "Gojin…"   
Centura, whom had been staring at his comrade, lowered his eyes to the ground and they shook. It was always hard for him to watch Goken embrace his father, it made his heart ache like a terrible earthquake. And now he felt terrible for Gomen, and shameful for his jealousy at this point in time. Most of all he felt anger for the Smargleoids, whom had come to destroy them all, led by the one who knelt in front of them.   
"It was you!" he suddenly shouted out at the Smargleoid, "It was you, wasn't it? You hired him," Centura pointed to the decaying burned body of Sancoah, "to get for you the dragonballs!"   
"Yes, but I…"   
"He killed my uncle, you bastard!" and the youth reared back with hatred swelling, hatred for all of life, "You sent these hoards of demonic fiends here to our home and slaughtered our people! You betrayed Gojin and his friendship! You must die!" and his rage built more and more until it was flaming with great heat. Goken and Gomen's eyes glimmered as they stood watching the angry youth charging up. They had never seen Centura become so aggressive before.   
Suddenly the youth went streaming out across the field, arm bent back with veins bursting from his skin all over. His muscles swole with growth from testosterone and adrenaline. His eyes flashed with rage and storming strength. He approached the Smargleoid with great velocity, and Maxra only sat still.   
"Thwack!" a hand jutted straight out to the side of Maxra, and the youth, Centura went flying to the side, sweat mixed with blood spraying the air with a fine mist.   
The young warrior landed on the ground, and began coughing. Gomen seeing this charged up his power, gritting his teeth. "I'll kill you!" he shouted, slinging aside his son.   
"Your brother wanted me to live. You cannot kill me even if you tried, so don't bother. I will do as he intended, and I don't care if you want to help me or not."   
Goken, the only cool-minded warrior left, spoke up, "What do you propose?"   
"I am going to kill the emperor, and take back the dragonballs."   
"You think we'd let you have them, you evil demon!" Gomen yelled out.   
"I don't want to keep them, all I ever wanted them for was my revenge, and I see now the error of my ways. I want you to use the dragonballs afterwards to fix what I have done, and to cleanse my soul."   
"Liar!" Centura groaned, lifting up a burnt sword that lay at his feet – Sancoah's drechen!   
"Whether you believe me or not, won't affect my ambitions. I am going now."   
"Wait!" called Goken, "where are you going?"   
"My ship is still here, if I take it, I can go back to the base and take the emperor by storm. I know all of the security measures of the bases, all of the codes, and I know the people. I will smoke out the villain from his hole. Then," he made a fist slowly, looking at his hand, "I will strangle the emperor with my bare hands, and watched his eyes roll to the back of his head!"   
"If you truly want to avenge my brother, then I must come and help you," Gomen shouted out, "I can't let you do this alone!"   
"Although Gojin and I were like brothers, my revenge is for other lost souls. But I welcome your help, it will be no easy task to reach that hellish devil!"   
"What do you mean?" asked Goken, stepping forward, "Why will it be difficult, when he fears us so much?"   
The general looked up in the sky, his eyes gleaming behind his mask, "Right now, he will be preparing for us, and hatching some other devilish plan. Undoubtedly he has prepared the Lenologence for gephon 7 or even 8."   
"What does that mean? What's the Lenologence?" Goken inquired with confusion.   
"The Lenologence is my space cruiser. It's primary function is space travel and military coordination, but in the case of emergencies, when the situation is extremely urgent, the Lenologence can be turned into what is basically an indestructible fortress that has only one weapon, a super sized iuqua which can destroy entire solar systems."   
"You mean the emperor will point it at the earth, and fire?" Goken asked again.   
"Not yet, he'll only set up this defense system and wait until he has what he wants. Then he'll destroy the planet, probably always planned to once he had gotten his wish."   
"Let me guess," spoke up Gomen, "he wants eternal life."   
"I can't be certain, the emperor is a hard to calculate maniac. He is much to cunning to be guessed upon so easily. But does it really matter? The truth is he must not get those dragonballs!"   
"Then we'll hide the remaining three and he'll never find them."   
"He will because his primary aim won't be to search, he'll be trying to capture us all and read our minds, only Gojin could resist him. He'll send her…" Maxra squinted, then turned his attention to the powerful Centura.   
"Who?"   
"My wife, his daughter."   
"What!?" Centura shouted.   
"He'll send her to come for me, and me she will kill first, and capture the rest of you to read your minds, as he can, and then she will take them back to him."   
"Why would she want you dead?"   
"Because I stole Gojin from her."   
Gasps took form around the three in several forms, but all of them were stunned and looked over to Gojin, who lay in the dirt, dead as that which he lay upon.   
"A long time ago," he began, "she was in love with him. I a member of the nobility and his friend, took him with me to all of the parties I went to. He became quite popular, even with a few ladies. But that was mostly out of fetish. But with her, from the moment she met him, she loved him. He was powerful, and strong, and she saw past his appearances to his heart and she loved him so strongly that she even confessed this to him. It was sort of roundabout, I suppose, now recollecting, that the emperor learnt of this love. I suppose I knew, and so he read my mind. But what happened was that he took her and he began to torment her in her dreams, with images of Gojin's death.   
"He told her that she saw the future in these dreams, when she asked him what they were (because she didn't know he was making them). It was shortly thereafter that she learned of what I did, my betrayal of Gojin at the emperor's behest. She never spoke to me again."   
"How do you know all of this?" Gomen interrupted him suddenly.   
"Because she later confessed it to me," he replied, "I was her friend at the time, because I was her age and so close to her father's will."   
"So how do you know it is her that will come?" Goken asked then.   
"Because when I married her only days ago, she told me she would watch over me, 'Till death do us part.' I knew then that the marriage was a sham, a control mechanism, and that I was being set up," he said.   
"How exactly is she going to find us though, and why does she worry you?"   
"Shortly after we married she planted a bug on me somewhere, and unfortunately, I can't locate it to destroy it. I simply know she did.   
"Secondly, the thing about Felitria is that she met Gojin by nearly beating him in battle."   
"Say what?" Gomen asked, jaw dropping.   
"Yes, before he had turned into whatever that golden thing is, but still when he was stronger than even I, she and he fought in the nobility tournament championship, and she almost won. She is strong, stronger than I knew, apparently, and now she will come for her revenge. I doubt she even knows that Gojin was here, or that it is really her father who has slain Gojin."   
"We can tell her!" Goken said, "and she can read our minds and know the truth!"   
"Except for two things," Maxra said, looking at Goken with cold eyes, "First, she may already be under his control completely and do his bidding without regard for this past love, and that is not a risk I am willing to take. Secondly, if she is free to act, she will undoubtedly read our minds, and so she will know where the dragonballs are and in an attempt to get Gojin back will use them to not only for that, but to make him love her or be in her control. This I know for certain, she holds me, with regard no matter what, responsible for her loss of him in the first place. Even if she knew or knows that I was obeying orders, I betrayed both of them, and she hates me with all her soul, she will try to kill me."   
"This is complicated…" Centura muttered with disillusionment.   
"That it is, Centura," a voice came to them from behind. Suddenly, a band of footsteps were heard landing on the ground. The four turned then to see Master Tsu standing and walking forward.   
"Sensei!" the youths and Gomen shouted in unison.   
"It sounds to us," Tsu spoke, pointing to the air above in the same direction in which Mr. Popo and Kami left, "that your situation is not peril less, but not hopeless either. You must only overcome your loss of strategic ground and figure out a plan of action. Then you will achieve victory."   
"You are quite right," spoke Maxra, "and I know you must have just finished defeating my armies, which without my leadership must have been much behind in strategy. You must be Master Tsu."   
"That I am," the old man replied, sunglasses glaring with light.   
"Gojin told me all about his training in his past life, but I never dreamed it was here, I apologize," and he bowed his head.   
"There are many things we all do wrong, most which we cannot apologize for or change, but one thing is for sure: you can always change what you do in the now, because Ki gives us that choice - its power binds us to life with will and direction. You have lost your way, Maxra, does it not puzzle you that you have not been able to control Ki the same way Gojin showed you ever since you betrayed him?" Tsu spoke.   
"Ah… How did you know?" Maxra's eyes widened.   
But the question was left unanswered, Tsu only began by outlining their new objectives. In the background, behind the odd alliance, the soldiers worked tirelessly to build a proper stone memorial for the fallen hero, in which his body would be housed from the elements by rock and stone, but not buried. The birds had by the time the sun was setting, started to return to their nests with singing, and meanwhile the world lay smoldering with ashes and death. Just outside the world lay a new terror setting itself with new ambitions of mire and hatred.   
In Goken's mind words of not too old came ringing back, 'Life's sure is funny, Goken, isn't it?'   
'It sure is,' the last words reverberated into the troubled mind of the youth.

*Jealousy*  
  
"Are you sure this is going to work?" a voice trailed off in the wind.   
"No, but there is no other way, we must trust Master Tsu," another voice sounded out, only to be lost in the ruffling of the angry wind.   
"What if we fail? What if the emperor gets a hold of the dragonballs, and the world ends?" the other voice sounded.   
"Then at least we did what we could, don't worry Centura, everything will be alright," Goken replied, his hair fluttering, smacking him in the cheek as he faced Centura who flew slightly behind him.   
_  
/At this moment, Goken and Centura flew towards the sanctuary, while in the opposite direction, Gomen, Tsu, Maxra, and the remaining warrior-students traveled towards Maxra's ship on earth. With the boys were two of the remaining dragonballs, and the third was with Gomen.   
Most of the time, the two were silent, watching below as the wreckage left behind from the war's ravaging passed by. The stench of death smothered them, often they had to fly with their eyes closed because the ashes still hovered above. They were filthy too, and the feeling of being covered with the remains of thousands of people made them shiver.   
On the ground Goken had noted the dirtiness of the other students, how hard they had fought, and how their numbers had dwindled to about half. They were hardy kids, with strong wills, but even though they were trained well, Goken could see it in their eyes: their childhood had been lost that day.   
But what worried Goken most of all wasn't the fate of the world, wasn't even the safety of his family and Mei-ling, what worried him most of all was Centura, whom had become so different earlier, so powerful. They were both descendents of the two great heroes, Goku and Prince Vegeta, but one side of the house had always retained certain traits and the other half the other's traits. In Centura, Goken was seeing a rising power, an angry power that had not yet matured, but was still dangerous, perhaps even more dangerous because he was so volatile. He would be a powerful ally, but his unpredictable nature could prove to be a weakness, and so Goken felt it necessary to be more on the watch. Something in the air, besides the death of his species, told him terrible things were about to happen./  
_  
"Goken," Centura spoke up after awhile, "Do you think she's alright?"   
Goken wasn't sure whom he was talking about.. so he guessed, "you mean Mei-ling?" he winced.   
"No, my mother… I feel like I've lost her," a tear, probably not from the wind, formed in his eye.   
"I don't know Centura, I think South City was one of the first places to go… don't worry, we can bring her back!" Goken said to him.   
Centura stared at the ground for awhile, then gritted his teeth, "That son of a bitch! I'm going to kill him when this is over, Goken, I'm going to tear out his eyeballs!" his childish tantrum was sincere.   
Goken assumed he was talking about Maxra, "He's changed, Centura, and your loss won't be permanent, don't let hatred overwhelm you," he advised.   
"Do you think my mother won't remember the pain? Do you think my family won't remember the agony of death? Do you think I can forget, or forgive him?"   
"I think that the world weaps too much already Centura, and you…"   
"I think that he deserves to die!" he interrupted, "he doesn't deserve to have his soul cleansed! He doesn't even deserve to get his revenge! Gomen and us deserve the revenge. Master Tsu deserves revenge, not him!" Centura was crying.   
"Centura," Goken slowed down to a stop, descending down to the ground to take a seat, "you have to let it go, you can't do this…"   
"I can do whatever I like! What do you know!?" Centura yelled at him.   
Around the two boys the waves of the ocean lapped up against the shores of the small island. Goken leaned against a palm tree, relaxed on the outside, but struggling for support inside. Centura paced around, squeezing a stone in his hands. For a long time they sat without speaking, then Centura turned to face him.   
"Goken, do you think that your family is alright?" Centura asked, obviously curious about Mei-ling.   
"I don't know Centura, but something tells me that they are. That place is a protected place, a sanctuary from the world, I doubt if the spirit of Gohan and Goten and Goku would ever let it come to harm," he elaborated.   
"It must be nice…" Centura muttered, sinking to the ground.   
"What?" Goken replied, confused.   
"It must be nice to have that kind of pride," Centura's elbow rested one propped knee, his other arm supporting his left hand, which drew pictures in the sand, scripts.   
"What do you mean, Centura, you come from the two heroes just as I do," Goken protested.   
"Yes. But I don't carry His name, I don't even carry Vegeta's name… just his silly hair!" Centura was truly a child in his mind.   
"Centura," Goken replied with strength, "Each of us have derived our powers from both sides, and even if you are more like the great Prince, what dignity you should bear!"   
"Ha! Do you know what sorts of things he did? Do you know who he was!?"   
"Centura…" Goken protested.   
"He was just like that general, that traitor! He murdered millions of innocents, and loved it! He was a ruthless Saiyan, a prince of them!" he cried again.   
"Centura, you forget that he changed, that Goku helped him change, helped him see the errors of his ways! He gave his life for earth once!"   
"Do you think that you can make up for such things!" Centura retorted.   
"Yes, I do Centura, and I think that it is up to the person to decide who they want to be. I have his blood as well, but I don't fear it, I don't fear myself as you do…"   
"What the Hell is that supposed to mean!?" Centura protested.   
"… and I think that what Master Tsu says is right. If you follow the path Ki lays out, the just path, the true path, you will not go astray."   
"Are you saying I am going astray!?" Centura stood again, ready to fight.   
"Look at you Centura, you are like a wild beast, control yourself!" he commanded.   
"Fuck you!" Centura turned facing away from him, starting to power up.   
"Centura… wait," Goken said, reaching out, grabbing his friend's arm, "All I am trying to say is that wherever life takes us, if you are true to yourself, then Ki will guide you right. Maxra will get what he deserves, in the afterlife, but for now he has changed, he has let go of his evil. You must let go if you want to stay on the right path to enlightenment too!"   
"Stop preaching to me, Goken, you aren't my father you know!" Centura yelled, wrenching his arm fromGoken.   
"If you allow your heart to be taken like this, you won't even see your father!" Goken yelled, pleaing to Centura's heart.   
Suddenly a fist landed in Goken's mouth, he was sent flying into the waves, where he slowly stood again, the body of Centura looking over him. "I didn't ask you if I would. Keep your lessons to yourself from now on, I am tired of hearing them. Now I will tell you this, before the day is out, Maxra and the Emperor will feel my wrath! I will make them pay tenfold for their belligerence and my vengeance will rain blood upon the fields like spring rain. My father will sing in heaven of my glory! And I don't care if you agree or not, I'm going now to find them!"   
"Centura!" and before Goken could say anything, Centura took off in a fury towards the large source of Ki that was Gomen and the others, "Centura, you'll ruin all our plans!" Goken called out, but Centura was long gone.   
Walking back, Goken rubbed his jaw, which he had to admit hurt a lot from a rather unexpected attack. But this he did not ponder on, but instead thought, 'What am I going to do now? Now that Centura's gone back, should I continue with the plan? Or should I go back?' Goken went to sit down, 'What's this?'   
Reaching down, Goken picked up an empty sack, surveying it: the dragonball was gone. 'Has it fallen into the ocean?' he thought to himself, 'why in the world did Kami ever make these things, anyhow, they only bring more trouble…'   
'Tis a question I have pondered everyday,' a voice replied in his mind.   
'Kami!' Goken replied, 'Kami, I'm sorry to inquire…'   
'No you are right to question. They seem more like a trouble than good. Now look what horror they have brought to earth!'   
'Kami, why did you make them?'   
'Well, actually Goken, they have been here for a long time, these dragonballs. Even before my time and before Piccolo's time! They are integral to the position of the kami of earth. But in my case, I was forced to make them in hopes to restore peace to the world, and once they are made, they cannot be unmade except with my death.'   
'I see,' Goken thought, 'why are they so important to Earth, though?'   
'It is the law of the Northern Kaio, from times ancient, that certain planets of certain Ki levels maintain an eternal dragon, because they are wound a certain way to the continuum of the universe and the connection to all of life and Ki. You see, the eternal dragons when not here in present form, give us the power to control Ki and live. In return they need homes to live, and thus certain planets with certain power levels must maintain these dragons. Unfortunately, terrible events, such as the creation of Majin Buu, have led to a terrifying destruction of many key planets. This has led subsequently to an imbalance in the level of dispersion between good and evil. Thus evil forces are constantly able to try and perpetuate their power by seeking out these Ki sources located on planets like Earth. The drive for Ki to disperse the power has led villains in recent times to earth, beginning with Goku.'   
'Wow, I didn't know…' Goken blinked.   
'Goken, it's time you go now, we've talked long enough,'   
'What should I do, Kami? I don't even know where my dragonball went!'   
'You should follow your heart, let Ki answer these questions for you,' the voice trailed off.   
So Goken began to meditate, trying hard to release his anxieties. It took him a long time, but suddenly it came to him, and he yelled aloud, "Centura took it! He's going to try and collect them all after his revenge and fix things! I," Goken was amazed, "I have to go after him, he's going to get the Universe destroyed!" Goken shouted.   
Squatting down to the ground, Goken summoned all his power, concentrating it in his feet. Around him the ash covering his body flutter off, swirling around. His face was powerful, he began to tap into that power of his he held deep, then he released it, and he flew off into the distance. Behind him, the surf lapped up against the sand, and ash descended onto it like snow. A coconut fell, and a crab scurried about.

*Love*  
  
In the twilight of the night, only hours after the death of Son Gojin, but far to the north, sat a young woman against a large, old ash tree. She seemed to sit still, asleep almost, but really she just sat in deep meditation. Off in the distance, the lake rippled under the moonlight, glimmering like a thousand, thousand diamonds. Occasionally, the dragonflies would play upon the water and lily pads enough to cause a circular disturbance, and even rarer the fish would leap from the water to nab the insects, as if to say, 'stop it!'   
"Sigh…" a whimper burst forth from her chest, her young and perky breasts heaving up once and then descending. Her right hand held a single flower, twisting it around, whilst her eyes stared out into the stars. Her left hand rested on her abdomen, wherein a child yet unwilled sat. The crickets had been chirping around her, singing perhaps to the fireflies that danced the dance of fairies and nymphs, but suddenly they stopped.   
"Mei-ling!" called Lila, walking out from the house towards her, "Aren't you going to come in for supper!?"   
Mei-ling did not answer, hoping to draw her mother-in-law out to the tree – it worked.   
Soft footsteps landed upon the lawn, "Mei-ling, honey, did you hear me? Are you hungry?" she looked the young lady up and down, seeing her legs exposed to the wind and light.   
Slowly Mei-ling answered her, "No…"   
"Honey, you have to eat, you have a child that is hungry, you know?" she looked at Mei-ling still.   
"Lila… where do you think they are?" Mei-ling changed the subject.   
Lila looked at her, then out into the stars as well. "I don't know, but I hope they are all alright."   
"What would you do if you lost Gomen and Goken?" she asked without turning her head, still twisting the flower in her hand.   
"I… I don't know. I suppose I would move on, continue living out here with my two girls and you, and eventually your child. I haven't really thought about it much, though, to tell you the truth."   
"Why?" Mei-ling turned now, as if a spring had switched on in her neck, commanded by the whisper of hope.   
"I don't know really. I guess I've been so busy looking through old photos and stories, and I haven't spent so much time in the open, walking about. I guess I've kept it out without knowing it…"   
"But now that I've asked you, what do you think about it?"   
"It makes me sad - proud, but sad – to think about their history. Do you know who used to live her? Why we feel safe here?"   
"I think you said something about someone named Goku?"   
"Yes, that is one of the great great grandfathers of Goken and Centura. He saved the world, more than once you know."   
"But he's gone now…"   
"No, not completely. You see his spirit and that of his family's watches over this area and comforts you when you are here. Rest assured that they will be fine, hings will be fine: you'll see."   
"I wish they were comforting me right now…" she lowered her head, plucking a petal from the flower.   
Lila leaned down beside her and hugged her, huffing out a breath of air afterwards. Then she placed her hand on Mei-ling's abdomen.   
"Wow! Did you feel that kick!" she screamed when a pounding nailed her hand.   
"Yeah, I felt it. He does that whenever someone else touches the stomach, as if it's already fighting the world."   
"It's a boy, then!"   
"What? How do you know?"   
"Well, when I had Goken, he was the same way, even kicking his old man. But my girls they were silent as a lamb. I hope you like Goken's hair, because this boy's gonna have some wild stuff too!" she started laughing, which made Mei-ling laugh as well.   
"I thought he just liked his hair that way, or 'cause of his dad! Is it really like that with these Saiyans?"   
"Yeah, they are a strange breed of men." She shook her head, looking then to her left and plucking a flower as well.   
Mei-ling looked over to the flower, but she couldn't really see it, it was so dark out. "Watch this," Lila said, "Gomen did this on our honeymoon night, when he brought me here. It was the most magical night I've ever had."   
Then she took the flower and laid it in her left palm, and took her right and hovered it overhead, putting her hand into a claw. Mei-ling studied the palm hard, looking at the flower for some sign of magic. Soon, to her surprised the flower began to glow a beautiful gold, and every little vein in it took in this light and it burst through from every pore. The petals started to flutter in this light.   
"Wow!" Mei-ling muttered.   
"Now watch this," she said, and stood up with the flower and pulled Mei-ling up. Then holding the flower out in front of them, she continued to make it glow until all of the fireflies soon danced around them both like a small ballroom dance of fairies. Mei-ling smiled so cheerily as she looked at each bug swirling about her. Then Lila, giggling as well, tossed the flower into the air, and they watched as the fireflies followed it to its new resting spot and there they continued to hover.   
"Come eat, Mei-ling, and then I'll show you how to do it." Lila said.   
"But I don't know anything about magic. It takes years of practice I imagine to…"   
"No, we all know a little something about Ki, I'll show you. And then,when our husbands return, you can show Goken how much you love him just as Gomen showed me how much he loves me."   
Mei-ling, already emotional, was now ready to cry, and she darted forward and hugged her mother hard, tears streaming down her face. "Come on," Lila finally said, and soon led her into the old house – they walked, Lila wrapping her arm around Mei-ling's shoulder.

*Hate*  
  
Off in the far east the warriors were just arriving. One by one the students landed, ahead of them, Master Tsu, Son Gomen, and Maxra stood facing his spaceship. Nothing very unusual about the situation, only that none of them talked nor faced each other, only stood facing the spaceship. For minutes they simply stood, and the students stood too, murmuring to each other with confusion. 'Why aren't they getting aboard?' 'We're wasting time!' 'The emperor's advantage grows by the minute!'   
Yet none of them could see the obvious: in front of them, hidden behind her powers of persuasion stood Felitia, staring straight at Maxra, and speaking to him while Kami used Mr. Popo to translate and resend to message to Tsu and Gomen.   
'I've been waiting a long time for this, Maxranoma, you traitor!' a wretchedly angry voice rang out in echoes in their heads, the voice was almost intoxicatingly powerful.   
'Why not come out where I can see you, Felitia?' Maxra asked her, 'Afriad?'   
'Of you, hardly! But that Saiyan there and the old man have strong minds, valorous ones… the Saiyan is His brother… he is strong.'   
'That he is, Felitia, but why do we have to fight? Why not settle things peacefully?'   
'You think I could live knowing that you still breath air after what things you have done!?' she shrilled, causing Gomen to wince a bit and Tsu to squint his eyes.   
'Felitia, you can read my mind, you know it was your father who killed Gojin!'   
'You made him! He aimed for you and Gojin, with his wonderful heart, he forgave you and saved your life! You should have died miserably at my father's whim, but instead Gojin gave his for you!'   
'Felitia, your father made me send Gojin away!'   
'And did you need to obey!? Did you need to do that even though you were his best friend? Even when you knew my feelings!? My father was protecting his reputation and his daughter, he knew not what else to do!'   
'You are delusional! Your father had me send him away to take Gojin in without us knowing and exploit his mind!'   
'No!'   
'Yes! Read our thoughts, read what he told us earlier!'   
'It doesn't matter! You took him from me! You were jealous of my love… our love!'   
'That's… not true…'   
'Liar! And now that you are here, now that Gojin is gone from me, I will repay you kindly for now twice having taken him from me! Prepare for your death, Maxranoma, my dearest, you will cry like a child by the time I finish with you!'   
With that, Felitia pulled from her back the drechen she carried and held it in her right hand, while in the left she clutched a pistol-iuqua. A grin from ear to ear lay behind her mask, but none of this could they see for she used a powerful mind trick not even Milanxa knew. Her body, while tall and thin, was quite muscular. Yet her shape, for a Smargleoid was elegant, and if she was not hiding herself the sun would surely make her seem as if on fire, for Smargleoid women were much more radiant than the men.   
Across the dirt of the Eastern Desert she raced, in the distance the fires of a large city still burnt, ashes lightly dusting the ground. She let out a thunderous roar, "Rah!" wielding her drechen, leaning back ready to make the final cut.   
Quickly tsu stepped ahead of her, and placed his right hand outward, "Shield!" he commanded to Ki, and it was so. Her cut glanced off of the shield and she streaked right between the three warriors, the wind causing them to spin about where a streak of light came forth. Gomen, with the strength of a giant leapt forward and punched the beam, and sent it hurtling through the air till it tumbled to the ground.   
"If you want Maxra, honey, you've got to come through me!" Gomen shouted at her, and she allowed the translator on her belt to work.   
"I've no business with you Saiyan, I'd hate to send you to your brother's side, but I cannot fail my mission. Those klasfugen will be mine!" the translator repeated the message.   
"I've business with your father, and for me to get to him I need Maxra, so if you want him dead, you're going to have to kill me first! Because you aren't getting the dragonballs in my lifetime!" he shouted back, sensing her Ki with his eyes closed. He could see her as a great red ball of hate, and he could feel the heat of her body as she breathed through the mask, "Master, go with Maxra and the students aboard the ship and prepare to take off for the Lenologence! When I finish with her, I'll join you."   
Tsu knew there was no helping him out, and that with them there, he would be unable to perform as will. Thus he led Maxra and the others away into the ship. "If you stand in my way, Saiyan, you will not be joining them in that ship, only I will!"   
"Bring it on, if you dare."   
And so their battle began. She lunged forward to the lone Saiyan warrior, thrusting at him with her drechen and as he dodged it and missed his strike they twirled around and each fired a Ki beam at the other. This only resulted in a draw and soon they broke from it and leapt again at each other where this time her cut did not miss. Yet it was not important, because he merely caught the blade in between his hands. "Grr." She grunted as she tried to push the blade down on him. Yet he only grunted back and in one quick motion rolled around the blade till his back faced her, threw an elbow that made her release her hand, and took the sword. He then disappeared and reappeared across from her.   
"Kichin, eh?" he said, tapping the blade which was now visible to him since he held it, "I can see the gun, but this just seems unfair. Don't you know how to fight without a sword?" he asked her cockishly.   
"Hmph!" she retorted, "Lay it aside, I don't need it to kill the likes of you! I just didn't want to get your filthy blood on my hands!"   
"Filthy!?" he yelled back, "I thought my brother was your lover?"   
"You aren't half of what he was! You let him die for that lowlife! Aren't you the older one!? What shame!"   
"What do you know, you crazed bitch! I'll show you filthy!" and with that he slung the sword blade first into the earth, where it lodged itself several meters down in the bedrock, waiting for centuries to be unburried.   
With this he powered up, becoming fierce, radiant, his blue aura swirling over him like a tiny storm. And she took he stance, shifting her weight to one foot with one hand set to pierce like a snake.   
_  
/The battle ensued for several minutes. Each threw a series of combos on the other, and for the most part they continued to block on a regular basis. Punch punch, kick, kick. Each fought with what seemed to Tsu to be perfect poetry. They were the yin and the yang for that instant in time.   
Yet it soon became obvious that it was Felitia whom had the advantage in martial arts ability. Tsu could only reckon that this might be because she knew the style that Gojin implemented and she could even read his mind from time to time. Tsu wasn't sure how much longer Gomen could handle her on his own. Her began to prepare himself by giving the students specific orders, but was stopped by Maxra./  
_  
"Look! It's that boy!" Maxra yelled, looking onto a monitor and pointing it out to Tsu.   
"Centura!" yelled out Tsu, "That boy! What is he doing here!? I gave him specific orders! Where is Goken?"   
Sure enough, Centura soon arrived on the scene, where he landed in a hurry, for in front of him a strange battle ensued. He could see no enemy! Yet for sure Gomen was fighting, and hard. Blood trailed down him face, mingled with sweat as he pushed the style of the turtle hermit to the limits of his ability.   
Soon a loud flash of light was seen and an explosion sent Gomen flying backwards into the air, then landing on the ground. He was slow to move. But Centura, seeing the source of this light, made a mad charge for it, screaming forth with fist pulled back. "Rarr! Demon be gone!" and he made a grotesquely miscalculated swing, during which he was tripped. On his tumbled down however, a strong Kichin chain wrapped thus around his neck and he was twirled about to face the sky. "Oof!" he moaned as suddenly a foot slammed into his stomach and he was pinned to the ground. He wished to move, but before he could think it, he felt a cold round metal circle rest upon his eyeball, preventing it from opening.   
Across the plain Gomen was rising from the ground, shaking his head with disgust. "You cheated, woman!" he shouted and then he stopped, "Centura! What are you doing here!?" he yelled out with frustration as he both sensed the both and heard the boy's groans coming from underneath the foot.   
"You are to bring Maxra to me, Saiyan, or your child here gets it!" she yelled out, assuming wildly.   
But her demand was powerful, Gomen must comply for he could not let Centura die so easily.   
"Alright, Felitia, I'll bring him to you. Just let the boy go!" Gomen yelled at her.   
"Don't be a fool, I will watch you kill Maxra first, and then you will give me the klasfugen before he is released!"   
"Damn it all! Centura you idiot!"   
"I'm sorry, Gomen!" the boy yelled, his confidence in himself destroyed now.   
"Go now! Maxra, you cowardly bastard! Get your ass out here and prepare to face your destiny!"   
Several moments passed and she began to become impatient, but soon he emerged. "What do you want, Felitia, do you want him to bring him back? Is that it?" Maxra yelled.   
"Yes!" she replied, angrily.   
"Then let me have the other klasfugen and Gomen will certainly wish for him back. You don't have to do this!"   
"Do you think a simple wish can erase all that memory and pain? Even if it did, could it erase the fact that I lived with it for all this time?" she cried tears of hydroxide, which fell and burned on Centura, who still dare not move: he could feel the powerful Ki in her weapon.   
"Felitia, he was never yours to begin with. Why spend your life devoted to hating me so much over such a little thing?"   
"It was not a little thing to me, Maxra! I loved him, and you stole him from me! Stole my dreams, and left me as prey for my father's malice! Now I've nothing left. No hopes, no dreams, now will! I am a slave to eternal love and eternal hate. I have nothing to offer him but a cold heart if he were to return. He had not fallen in love with me then, what makes you think he could love me now!? I hate you, Maxra, you have sent me to Hell already! You will pay, you coward! You TRAITOR!" she cried out, as tears streamed from her eyes burning Centura more.   
"OWW!" Centura cried out and she looked down to see his shirt aflame with her hot tears, and it surprised her.   
"Gojin…" she whimpered, as she looked into the boy's face.   
"Now Gomen!" cried Tsu into the warriors mind.   
"Solar Flare!" the Saiyan yelled out, and a terribly bright light burst forth from Gomen, blinding the world, and Felitia.   
"Ahh!" she yelled rearing back a bit, and suddenly Gomen rammed his shoulder into her, sending her tumbling away.   
Centura, wiping his blinded eyes, came to his knees where he found a pair of familiar shes. "Goken!"   
Across the distance only a bit, Felitia tumbled and tumbled until she came to rest on her knees. Once there she groaned, wiping on her eyes. Upon clearing the pain from them, she stood, where she stood face to face with Gomen. She jumped a bit, only she was grabbed on both arms by him. "Game's up, sweetheart," he said to her, still using his Ki to find her presence.   
At first she only stared into his eyes, as if staring into those of Gojin. She began to read his thoughts, searching the mind of Gomen, seeing the history and past of earth, of Gojin and he. She read his thoughts and felt the love in Gomen for Lila, and soon she began to cry… "Gojin…" she whimpered, and Gomen released his grip a bit when he heard her tone.   
"Gojin, why won't you love me?" she cried, and she looked back into Gomen's eyes… the translator had stopped working something during the fight. "Gojin, why?" she was clearly becoming more insane staring at Gomen.   
"Gojin! Answer me!" she cried, only Gomen could not, because he did not know what she said.   
"Why do you hate me, Gojin!? Why do you spite me!?" she began to cry. The others around them stood perplexed.   
"Why can't you love me? Why won't you love me!?" she demanded to know, only Gomen did not reply, only listened to her tone.   
Around them the ground began to vibrate some, and soon a dark light of red formed around the two, and Goken began to sweat: he didn't know whom was doing what. "Father…" he whispered to himself.   
"Gojin! Gojin I love you! I want to be with you! Take me with you! Take me! Don't leave me Gojin, don't leave me here again! Gojin!" and the more intense she cired the brighter the lights became, and yet some force compelled Gomen to remain. He could only stare into her desperate eyes with fear and wonder - deer lost in the head lights. Yet he was unaware of the sudden force that gripped the tow of them, shaking the ground. And suddenly she streaked forward and rammed her hand into his chest and gripped his heart. She pulled him to her and hugged him tight, blood poured from his mouth and eyes, and his organs burned and melted her skin.   
"Oh God!" she yelled and she looked into his bloody eyes, "What have I done!?" she yelled out and then she screamed a violent scream.   
All the people around fell to their knees, covering their ears with their hands. The ground shook tremulously and light began to burn the air around the two. Their hair caught flame and the skin on both turned as if to stone. He screamed louder than she, his eyes quivering, and in them a vision of his wife, his family. He could see the future, and he was horrified.   
They died.   
Goken sank to his knees. Tears streamed from his face. He did not need anyone to tell him the truth, he knew it through and through, bones to bones. He could feel the Ki of his father slip away like a fallen vase shattering upon the rusty floor of oblivion. He simply stared.   
"Gomen!!" Centura shouted, and dashed forward from where he had been blown away.   
Tsu himself came out of the ship, a frown smeared across his face. 'This war has been far too costly…' he thought, looking back into the window of the ship where his students stood glazed over as they looked upon the battlefield.   
Slowly Centura pried Gomen's hands off of Felitia, letting her fall to the ground like a rock, but gently lowering him downwards. "Gomen!" he shouted, "Gomen!" again and again.   
_  
/For Centura, Gomen had been the natural choice for a second father. He barely remembered Gojin, but did not know him and Odysean was a worthless hermit who had once loved his mother. Because of his closeness to Goken, he easily could feel closer to Gomen and this made him able to bear life a little more. Gomen had given Centura a lot of advice and support, and had often gone out on a limb for him. This loss would prove to be unbearable for not just Goken, but for Centura as well./  
_  
Slowly Goken rose and walked over to where Centura held Gomen, cradling him. He couldn't even look at him, all he could do was close his eyes and turn his head. And he cried, sorrow filling his heart as if it were a sack. Centura cried as well, and only looked on at Gomen.   
"We're alone, now, Goken…" Centura spoke to him, "We're all that's left… your father and mine, gone…"   
"Father…" Goken whispered, 'Mother, I'm so sorry I couldn't save him…' he clenched his eyes tight, his stomach turning over and over, his throat becoming clamped.   
"I… I… I fell it slipping Goken." Centura said suddenly, staring off into the distance, but at nothing as well, "I see my life and all my past and my cares and I feel it slipping, and I am starting to lose my mind…"   
Goken's eyes opened, he could feel Centura's pain. He could feel the Ki in them turning black, and he saw their losses: the losses of mankind.   
Tsu watched on with a heavy heart, but he knew not what else to do. Maxra too looked on, his anger seething as he thought only of killing the emperor. Yet Tsu had no anger, only depressed remorse, and he stood without words, without advice, and he looked on. He listened, too, to the Ki of the two boys, and he felt the void of the earth, the great chasm opening up in one.   
"Goken, I have lived for years without knowing my purpose and without seeing the path, and now I begin to see I have none. I am seeing now that I am a lost soul. My flesh burns to murder and I cannot see anything but that. I am slipping, Goken…"   
Yet now, of all times that Centura ever needed Goken, the friend could do nothing to help Centura. He could only watch on.   
Tsu felt this, and Kami too, 'Tsu, you must delay it. It cannot be avoided, but it must be delayed. The earth still depends upon the Smargleoid. Take the boys aboard the ship and fly away fast. Leave Gomen to Mr. Popo's care, we'll come for him,' the voice commanded.   
Tsu stirred into action and came walking up to the two boys. "It's time to go, Mr. Popo will come for Gomen, but we must go now," he said sternly.   
The two looked up to him, the man hiding his watery eyes behind sunglasses, and then they rose up. They felt to Tsu like two soulless children, drones, machines. They were on the brink of devastation.

*Counterstrike!*  
  
Aboard the ship the warriors prepared themselves, anger growing in all of them, as well as a sense of purpose. Centura and Goken stared at each other for a long time, reading each other's thoughts and ideas. Tsu looked on with amazement, studying the two who seemed to communicate with an ancient form of body language, perhaps a Saiyan instinct. They thought the same way: Kill!   
"Maxra, how long till we reach the moon base?" Tsu yelled out.   
"Only ten earth minutes," he remembered Gojin's system of time, "When we reach the base, I'll have to use my security clearance to gain access to Lenologence's main docking station."   
_  
/What Maxra was not aware of, however, was the emperor's realization of not only the events, but of the general's most likely plan of counter attack. He was quite irritated, when watching the events of the battle between his daughter and Gomen, that he had not predicted the outcome correctly, but he had already figured that into his plans. He had already changed the security codes to the entire Smargleoid defense network. Not only that, but he had set up a special ambush for the general on the moon base. The Lenologence had been prepared for the assault on the earth, and now the emperor felt he might be forced to do it. Only something kept him from it: the feeling he couldn't help but get that the three dragonballs, whether by design or accident, had made their way onto the general's ship and were on their way to him! Indeed he was right./  
_  
Quickly the ship moved through the silent night that is space. The boys stood at the windows, gaping out at the billions of stars, amazed as never before. For a time forgotten was their losses and woes, they were instead transfixed with boyish magic. And in the cold steel they stood, rested a host of war-wary men and one ambitious Smargleoid.   
Maxra was the object most fixed upon by Tsu as of that moment. He sat alone in his corner studying the ex-general, searching out his ki. It had changed, he found, and he thus felt compelled to speak with Kami, 'Kami, what do you make of him?'   
'He is a dangerous ally, my friend, whose life has been filled with treachery. But this is not unlike the very Ki of prince Vegeta. And he turned out to be a most powerful instrument of justice. This Smargleoid's Ki is on the same wave-pattern. It feels exactly as Vegeta's did the day he sacrificed himself for the Earth when fighting Buu. From what I can tell he is no longer a sinister threat. I feel, however a growing disturbance in the continuum and I haven't yet determined it's source. But do not let this trouble your mind, I think it is important to focus on the impending battle. The will of the emperor is strong, and your battle will take heavy tolls. Prepare yourself, Tsu,' the wise old Namek cautioned.   
Tsu did not reply, he only let the connection fade. He then turned to his crew and eyed them. They were weak, and there hadn't been any time to get them all Senzu, the four he had were cut up. But he was confident things would suffice. Or at least he hoped.   
By the window the boys looked out into the abyss, each floating in the nothingness as if helpless or in denial. It was indeed an escape. But while in one the escape was blissful, allowing him to go to a place of paradise, a fields of beauty and visions and happiness mounted upon joys, the other sunk.   
While Goken saw his wife dancing among the orchids and lilies, her long dress fluttering wildly and her hair lifted ever-so slightly in the air, Centura saw the fires of Hell raging in the darkness.   
His eyes fluttered too fast to catch, but in the reflection on the glass Tsu saw the craziness in them. His ki was rapidly turning towards the darkness. Tsu closed his eyes and tuned to his sixth sense, stretching out with his mind's eye. There he saw, or rather felt the evil intent, the maliciousness growing in Centura. His power grew as well as more and more he convinced himself of his justice, his cause.   
Tsu shuddered, he had never seen a student of his become so desperate before, but he was well aware of what blood ran through Centura now.   
"One minute! We are approaching the blockade defense barrier! We may take some hits, but this ship can put a wrecking on the Lenologence's defenses. Besides, I'm the one who designed the bastard!" he smiled as he saw ten ships approach.   
Suddenly the group felt an acceleration, rather than a slowing down, and the whole ship seemed to morph.   
"Blam, Blam, Blam!" the guns rang inside the ship as large iuqua blasts fired through the space effortlessly and plowed through the ships like run-away trains. The rumbling started the boys out of their meditation and caused them to get into stance.   
"All clear!" Maxra yelled out, "hold on to something, we're going to do a fairly fast crash-landing procedure! We'll only have ten seconds to unload before the Lenologence's hull performs a majrin (self-defense mechanism in which the hull destroys anything outside of the Lenologence)! We have to go down the air hatch into the ship! Get your masks on!"   
They all grabbed onto something and quickly tried to pull on their masks, when suddenly the ship crashed into the hull of the Lenologence.   
"Come on!" Maxra shouted as he rose from the pilot's seat and ran to the central hatch on the flooring, "We have to get this open!!!"   
"There's no time!" shouted Centura and he stuck out his arm and shouted, "Hiyaa!" and a ki blast penetrated the metal and busted out the hulls of both ships.   
Quickly the warriors leapt into the hole, and they nearly all made it, but when Tsu looked back up he saw the ship suddenly melt and the people left inside turned to ashes instantly.   
"Hurry!" shouted Maxra as above them the haloc system came on and froze the melting ship above them, resealing the molten hull.   
"We made it," stammered Goken when suddenly three ki blasts were seen ripping through the air, mowing down three young earthen warriors, splaying their bodies instantly.   
Quickly the group went into offensive mode and following behind Maxra charge the guards on the far end. They were imperial marksmen. One by one they fell to the Saiyan's and master's blasts.   
"This way!" Maxra shouted at them, motioning them down another hall towards the main tower.   
The warriors ran hard now, panting, sweat rolling from their brows in streams. Around them the hum of light was interrupted only in flickering and mostly their footsteps was what was heard.   
"The emperor will try to send robots after us, prepare to meet them head on, but they are easy to slaughter. Keep you wits up, if you see their eyes turn orange at all get down, because that's the indicator for self-destruct mode! The emperor will try to escape, so I'll run ahead to the tower to head him off," he commanded and pulled out his iuqua.   
Behind him, Centura's eyes glowered, and he felt an arm grab his shoulder as they ran. He looked left, and there saw Tsu's face nodding to him, 'trust him, trust me,' but the Saiyan only returned his attention forward.   
"Look out!!" someone shouted as they passed through one of the large cargo bays and suddenly a hundred iuquas seemed to go off at once. Around them the doors slammed shut and hundreds of robots, and cyborg Smargleoids appeared from behind cargo and craft.   
Quickly the group spread out and the two Saiyans in a furious speed began to utterly destroy the attackers. Ahead of the group ran Maxra, guarded by Tsu as they approached the door.   
"It's sealed tight, and it's iuqua-proof. It'll take some time to break the code!" Maxra shouted over the noise as Tsu listend whilst firing beams out at approaching victims.   
"Here, switch me!" Tsu commanded and turned to the door as Maxra turned around and began firing his iuqua and using his drechen to lop off heads of closer enemies.   
Tsu got down into a horse stance, summoning his energy and breathing differently. Around his body, the muscles bulged like ripe melons and his veins pumped hard. Suddenly he twisted his body back to the right and brought forth, in a springing motion, one palm.   
"Whomp!" a metallic blast rocked the room as the blast-proof door snapped in six and was sent flying in pieces through the corridor, plowing overtop of hundreds of approaching guards.   
"Switch!" Maxra shouted and Tus turned back, returning immediately to fight-mode. He began to decimate the robots once again while Maxra turned about and sprang into action, immediately killing guards with a breath and a swipe.   
Meanwhile in the hall Goken and Centura were fighting head to head with some large mechanical droids built using kichin. They blasted and blasted, and kicked and kicked, but merely found that the machines were just too tough for the blasts and strikes.   
Around them only two earthen warriors remained besides Tsu, the others having been pounded by multiple enemies or blasted by the powerful guns on the two mechs.   
"Centura, let's stop trying to break them. Let's try tripping them!" Goken shouted.   
And making like he was going to punch the robot, tricking the Smargleoid into thrwing his own, Goken went suddenly low and swept the off-balance mech. "Crash!" the robot went down, cratering the floor as the round machine pounded the metal.   
Beside him, Centura was gripping the foot of the other mech, lifting it up and twisting it over his head then slamming the robot into the flooring, plowing him straight through the steel. "I think mine's knocked out!" Centura gloated.   
But as he did the mech of Goken's started to get up and began firing automatic rounds across the floor, obviously dazed. Instantly the remaining two humans were mowed down, their bodies plowed through and through by ceaseless ki.   
"No!" Goken shouted, and gritting his teeth he raised up his palm and formed a red-hot kienzen disk, "Destructo Disk!!!" he shouted and lunged the sharp blade of ki at the mech.   
The blade struck and nearly broke and ricocheted, but Goken held it there and pushed. Behind him Centura moved up and pushed too, putting both their energies together. The light around them grew super-red and the kichin below became hot until at last it melted and the blade ran through the enemy and exploded.   
Tsu ran out to the fallen warriors and Goken and Centura flew to them too. "My god," Tsu said as he gripped the one's hand that was still joined to his body.   
Goken cried to see him lying there and he knelt down beside him. "Master, I'm so sorry!" he shouted, "Hanu, I'm sorry!"   
Hanu, laying there with blood pouring from his wounds only opened his eyes and looked at Goken and he smiled. "I am complete…" he whispered and his eyes closed shut and he fell dead then and there.   
Tsu laid the boy back down and looked to the hallway wherein hundreds of guards lay dead too. "This nightmare knows no boundaries, I fear all of us are going to go to Hell before this is over…" he over-dramatized, "Hanu, my son, rest now, your father will soon be with you!" Tsu shouted and rose up, "Come on!"   
And quickly he leaned forward and glided across the ground like a ghost, arms backwards as he rushed through the corridors, the boys following him.   
Through the halls they rushed not heeding guards nor gore, simply following the trail of destruction straight to the main tower.   
And just as they rounded the corner they came to an opening where in they saw Maxra kneeling before the emperor. They stopped suddenly and the universe seemed to freeze.   
_  
/The events prior to their arrival are as follows:   
After Maxra went through the doorway employing his skills as a martial artist to slay the guards, he made his way to the bridge. Once there he forced from the admiral the new codes and he set the Lenologence for both self-destruction and moved it to face Mars. He sense the emperor making his way to the bridge and thus took a small hirakinu (chip that detects death) and swallowed it. When the emperor entered he warned him that killing him would destroy both of the Smargleoid strongholds.   
The emperor, angry with rage, flung himself at Maxra and while distracting him with a blurred image of his father and mother pinned down the general and ripped out his tongue, causing blood to pour forth.   
The emperor, while keeping the general in this dream state led him over to the gateway portal, which he set to coordinate with his escape ship. He made the general kneel down before him and he pulled out his iuqua and awaited the arrival of his guests./  
_  
"Give to me the klasfugen if you want your friend to live!" he demanded at the three, through a translator box, not knowing what to expect.   
"What!?" Tsu shouted.   
"One of the Saiyans has with him the Klasfugen! Give them to me or Maxranoma dies!"   
Tsu turned to Centura and Goken, "You have them on you?"   
Goken looked into Tsu's eyes and his heart sank, "We forgot…"   
"It doesn't matter anyhow! Go ahead and kill him, see if we care!!" Centura shouted at the emperor.   
The emperor was thus forced to use his trump card.   
"If I kill Maxranoma here, you all die because he has set the two planets to destruct if he dies!"   
"What!? Impossible!" Goken shouted in reply.   
"Damn it!" Centura shouted.   
"Bring them to me, now!" the emperor demanded.   
Tsu turned to the boys and stretched out his hands, "Give them to me."   
The boys handed him the remaining dragonballs. Then the warrior turned to the emperor, "Here they are," he said.   
"Bring them to me!" the emperor commanded, behind him the swirling blackness of the portal stood.   
Tsu started to approach, when suddenly the emperor grew wary, "No, instead, throw them into the portal!"   
Tsu's mouth twitched, he knew the emperor was reading his mind. He threw in the first one, letting it go through the portal. Then he squinted his eyes.   
It was at this precise moment that Tsu felt a sudden power rush through him and he suddenly saw the truth of the emperor's powers. He smiled and cut off the source of power. "Thank you, Gojin" he whispered, while the face of the emperor went blank.   
"Ha!" the old man launched the other ball with lightening fast power, striking the emperor dead in the chest, sending him flying into the portal.   
But just as the emperor fell backward into the wormhole generator he pulled his trigger, almost instinctively and a short blast issued from the weapon. It struck Maxra in the chest and went on through, striking the electrical circuits, turning off the portal and cutting off the arm and legs of the emperor. The ball had, though, barely gone through.   
Suddenly the general awoke from his dream world and looked down to his chest. In it he could see his beating heart and he did then stare, as if staring into his own soul, his essence. His eyes shut and he fell backwards to the floor.   
His falling body was caught by Goken, who held him up.   
Slowly the other two approached and Tsu opened the general's mouth. "Just as I thought, he's tongueless," and he reached down to Maxra and touched him with his index finger. Suddenly the two of them were standing in a field, around them the light shimmered and together they looked on.   
"I remember," a voice suddenly echoed to Tsu, and he turned to look at Maxra, "when my father and mother died, that I made a promise. I made a promise to fight back and right the wrongs of the world. I went from there forth searching for the perpetrator of the crimes I witnessed. And for a time I was on the right path. But when I betrayed Gojin, I lost that path, and I didn't regain it till it was too late. Now I am going to die a foul and pathetic death, and my father and mother will be lost to me forever. Because my greed and selfishness blinded my judgment."   
"We all make mistakes, Maxra," Tsu spoke to him, "The only question is do we owe up to them. Your mistakes are grave, but not complete. One day, in the far future when you have served your time and proven to the guardians you are worthy, they will reward you with what you deserve. You have tried your best and I don't think your father will be disappointed in your actions as you act now."   
"Does the emperor have the last of the dragonballs?"   
"Yes."   
"Then you have to go after him! Go to earth! This ship and the fourth planet will be destroyed when I die, but the emperor has fled to his dropship which will take him to earth. You must go quickly to the other emergency ship located in my quarters. You will find the way. When you get to the emergency room, tell the computer that the password is "Judgment Day".   
Go now, I am going to watch my father die one last time, and when I at last hear him speak, your time will be up. Go fast, I see a small child and a couple approaching…"   
Tsu turned to the distance and there indeed walked two older Smargleoids and one child, playing in the fields.   
"Good-bye, Maxra," Tsu said.   
"Tell Gojin I am sorry," Maxra said.   
"He already knows," Tsu said.   
And suddenly he returned to consciousness.   
"Come on!" he shouted to the two boys who stood gaping at him.   
Together they fled, passing through corridors like mad phantoms. Around them the ship buzzed with warnings and lights flashed like crazy.   
And soon they plowed through a doorway into the living quarters of Maxra. "There!" Tsu shouted after locating the red doorway, "Judgment day!" he shouted and the doors flung open as the three rushed in.   
Soon they were off and on their way to earth, quickly getting away from the defensive barrage of the Lenologence, using Ki as their guide.   
  
A child laughed, turning over the watch in his hands, and he fingered the inscription on its back, the words issuing from his lips. His eyes shimmered like morning raindrops in the dawn. Outside his body, Maxra was fingering the watch too, which before he left, Goken had laid on top of Maxra and whispered, 'Rest in Peace'.   
"Ahhh!" a shout was heard across the field and the boy resting on the tree looked out suddenly as his mother fell down next to his father.   
The echo of the gunfire rang out across the knolls. Quickly the boy jumped from tree and ran to his father.   
Soon the shadow of an older Maxra, a modern Maxra, loomed over his father, and he knelt down to see him.   
"I don't deserve this…" his father whispered.   
Maxra then lay down beside his father and clutched the watch, "I do," he replied.   
  
Suddenly a light filled his eyes, and the day soon turned to white night.

*The Spear of Destiny*  
  
On board his ship, the emperor had his injuries repaired as he watched the explosion outside. "Quickly, to the surface!!" he shouted and told the slave-droids to make haste to a random spot, "Bring me the Klasfugen!" he shouted and forward to him was brought all the rest of the dragonballs.   
He oogled them all with his eyes as he laughed inwardly. He thought then about what his wishes were going to be. 'I'll fix everything those fools wrecked! I will be God!' he thought.   
All of a sudden his ship rocked and he was flung onto the floor. "What the…!?" he shouted and he ran to the cockpit. On the screen he saw a ship approaching from starboard bow. "Damn them! They survived!" he shouted angrily ,"Hurry to the surface, prepare to land!" he yelled at the droid pilots.   
The ship accelerated and the emperor went to the back and collected the seven balls and placed them into a sack.   
"Kaboom!" another explosion rocked the ship.   
_  
/Soon they entered the atmosphere, and flames swallowed the two ships. Aboard the escape ship sat the three warriors who were making chase on the emperor. They had discovered the weapons and were firing powerful cannons at him. But the defense-shield of the emperor's ship was strong.   
The flames of the re-entry were powerful , but soon the ships approached the surface and prepared to land. At the last moment however, Tsu took his chance to take the emperor by surprise and fired a double-powered shot at the ship, sending it twirling though the air and crashing into to dirt. The warriors themselves flew out of an open-hatch into the air and watched as both ships tumbled to the earth, crashing among the wrecked carnage of South City. The warriors followed and landed close to the battlefield./_

  
The three stared out across the ash and dirt and wreckage of a fallen city. A fire raged there in front of them, the twisted metal of skyscrapers and military and fallen ship scattered about with decaying bodies, skeletons, and burnt trees.   
"The world is like one big graveyard," Goken said aloud.   
The wind whipped them in the face, ashes and smoke swirling around the tattered clothes of the three of them.   
"Smash!" a metal sound rang out across the distance.   
Suddenly a lone body leapt from the hole in the hull and with him was a sack slung over his shoulder.   
"You stupid little Saiyans! You bastards are going to pay dearly for this!" the emperor shouted angrily across the rubble.   
Slowly the three approached him until they stood twenty meters from the emperor.   
"You're wrong, it's you who is going to pay dearly for this," Goken waved his warms around to show the destruction and wreckage.   
"You are going to burn in Hell my friend," spoke up Centura, "in an especially hot part, for the death of my mother. This was her home!"   
"How sad, it's too bad you didn't die with her," the emperor rebuked.   
"I was waiting, to escort you to Hell myself you fucker!" and suddenly Centura streaked forward across the distance, the hand of Tsu barely missing grasping him.   
The emperor, thinking quick, summoned his powers to blind Centura, and he pulled from his back his drechen, ready to strike. But greater powers prevailed and a guided beam of divine light shot directly into the mind of the emperor, causing him to freeze and listen to the whispers…   
Suddenly an arm went plowing forth through the emperor, like a spear of destiny. And all time seemed to stop as the warriors ceased their movement. And Centura pulled his head back and looked into the eyes of the Smargleoid. "Now you burn!" he yelled and concentrating he caught the both of them on fire, and together they burned. They shouted together, they danced together, their hearts bled. And in Centura's mind the darkness fluttered away like a raven fleeing the farmer's shovel and his eyes flashed blue.   
The blood that stained and burned his arm dissipated and his hair stood on end. The prince was reborn and for a brief moment he retained his visions or glory. He saw his father and his uncle and his mother.   
Then he passed out.   
They fell to the ground.


	5. Chapter V

*Chapter 5*  
The snake curls up to die,   
But first lays its last egg.

*World of Desire*  
  
"Take him to the lookout," Tsu said to Goken, "I will take call the dragon and repair the damage that has been done."   
"Yes, master. Do you think…" Goken stuttered.   
"Don't worry, the emperor is dead, and now things will be better. Go now, Centura's life force is waning, he needs treatment for the poison."   
"Yes sir!" and Goken lifted the body of Centura and placed him on his shoulders. Despite the heaviness of his friend, Goken's eyes twinkled, hope came rushing into his body again. He saw a bright light ahead, and the world turned to cotton.   
When the boy was out of sight, Tsu turned to the emperor and went over to him. He lifted the drechen from the fallen fiend's hands and pulled it back. "May the flames of Hell burn extra hot for you, and may you burn there for all eternity!" and he lifted the drechen high and slung it down on the barely alive emperor's head. Blood spattered around the ground, and the emperor was finally dead.   
_  
/Master Tsu then moved to the sack lying upon the ground, and lifted it. He then turned to the distance and flew off. He flew until he found an open spot in which to lay out the dragonballs in a clean, and undestroyed spot. Lifting the sack, he allowed the dragonballs to roll out, all seven, plus the extra ones which had cracked. They didn't matter. He breathed out a sigh and then raised his hands into the air./  
_  
"Eternal dragon, I summon thee from your lair to come and grant me three wishes!" his voice rang out strong across the open field.   
Soon the seven dragonballs turned bright orange and shot up into the air and from them burst forth the eternal dragon Shenlong. "You have awakened me from my slumber, I will grant you three wishes, what is your desire?"   
Just then, from nowhere, Kami suddenly appeared in front of Master Tsu. "Stop, Tsu, you cannot do what you are planning to do!"   
"What!? Kami? What are you doing here?"   
"You cannot make the wish that you are thinking!" Kami yelled across to him, "I have been foretold of a prophecy and you must not make this wish!"   
"What are you talking about?" Tsu asked him.   
"I cannot tell you what was said, only know that you must trust my judgment. This wish must not happen! It is important to the future of the Universe!"   
"Impossible!" Tsu responded, "You can't be serious!"   
"I'm afraid it is true, Tsu, you must not make this wish."   
"What then am I supposed to wish?" Tsu was despondent.   
"You must make only one wish: that the carnage of the earth's destruction be buried in dirt and forest. This is the wish you must make to hide from people the truth and set the right path in motion. Then you must send away the dragon!"   
"You have lost your mind, Kami!" he shouted in reply.   
"Tsu, listen to the path, follow your own truth, you will see that I am right, you must do this."   
Tsu thought on this and indeed he felt it to be the way to go, most definitely the way, but he saw it was also a path that lay in uncharted waters. It was a direction filled with strangeness and terror. "What about my son, Kami, and the Saiyans' family? Why are we to give up on that for this unknowing path?"   
"Because if you take the path you wish the fate of the earth is only more hatred and destruction. You must trust me, Tsu, this is the only way to truly save mankind and the universe!"   
Tsu turned to look at the dragon, who hovered overhead, waiting for the wishes.   
"Eternal dragon! Please do as Kami has instructed and bury the destruction of the earth under dirt and forest so that man may never know the evils of this war!"   
"It shall be done!!" and the dragon's eyes flashed and returned to normal. Around them suddenly a large forest appeared, covering the smoldering ruins of the earth with blissful silence, like a gigantic graveyard.   
"What is your next wish?"   
"That is all, you can leave now," Tsu commanded.   
"Very well, I bid you farewell!" the voice rumbled and the dragonballs split over head into the horizon. The sky returned to normal and Kami walked over to Tsu.   
"I am sorry, old friend, but it is the right thing. Now walk with me among this forest and let us bless the dead and perform ancient burial processions that I remember from Namek," and he thus led the old warrior, dressed in a tattered Gi into the forest.

*The Looking Glass*  
  
"Ahh!" Centura shouted as he awoke, sitting up straight all of a sudden.   
"It's alright, Centura, you're here with us now," a soft voice came to him.   
"What??" he looked around until his face came to Lila's, "Where am I?"   
"You're here at the homestead, with us."   
"How long have I been asleep!?" Centura felt extremely groggy.   
"It's been almost sixty days, Goken brought you here after taking you to the lookout for senzu. Apparently you were in a deep-deep coma. The doctors we brought here from Satan City said they didn't know why you slept so solidly. But I had this strange feeling you might wake up today, and so I cam in here and sat down to read to you. But as soon as I started to read, you woke up…" she seemed so surprised.   
"Where's everyone?" Centura's face was both shocked and frustrated.   
"What do you mean?"   
"I mean mom and Gomen and Master and Goken!" he shouted in irritation.   
"I'm sorry, Centura, but Tsu has told me your mother and Gomen both passed away…"   
"What!? Why haven't they been revived?"   
"I don't know, Centura, it seems to me that the dragon couldn't undo the damage…"   
"What!? Impossible!" he couldn't believe it, "Where's Goken!?"   
"He's at the hospital, in Satan City."   
"Alright, I'm going!"   
"Are you sure you're alright?" she asked him.   
"Yes."   
"Are you hungry?"   
"No, I've got to go find out from Goken what happened!" he stumbled up and pulled on some clothes and then went to the window.   
"He'll be back tonight, Centura, you can just wait," she replied, her hand gingerly moving to try and restrain him, her heart trembled.   
"No I can't, good-bye Lila-san," he said and then took off into the air.   
_  
/Flying over mountains and rivers, Centura stared straight forward, not taking note of the extremely large change in the topography below. Never before had the earth been so green and lush. Everywhere below where carnage had ravaged mankind, forest and plains lay covering up the scarring.   
Yet this he did not note. Instead he noted the growing dark feeling in his heart. He felt closer to Ki than he had ever felt before and he was feeling a strong sense of betrayal and mistrust in the air. From where he did not know, but he for sure was going to get to the bottom of this!/  
_  
Arriving in Satan City later that afternoon, he first went to the Dojo to find Master Tsu. He descended into the graveyard where he found more than forty new headstones , and one large monument labeled 'Hanu'. He walked into the inner-sanctuary and found no one there. But in the distance he heard a humming and he thus walked out the back into the gardens. There he found Master Tsu.   
"Master!" Centura called out.   
The old man stopped doing what he was doing and slowly turned to face Centura. His eyes almost trembled as he whispered, 'Already?'   
"Master! What happened? Why haven't you and Goken revived all the people and restored earth to how it once was?"   
"Centura, you've awakened!"   
"Yes, yes, but please tell me why you did not revive our loved ones? Why didn't you revive your own son!?" he was panting with disbelief.   
"Centura, you must understand… there are pivotal moments in the galaxy that cannot be avoided. It was necessary to do what I did because certain things unforeseen even by Kami have yet to come to pass."   
"What are you talking about? Why would leaving people dead make things better? I don't understand, what are you saying?"   
"I am trying to say, Centura, that even through the darkest storms the sun will shine again, and although mankind is saved for now, you have yet to pass through the remainder of the storm. You are in the eye of it, merely a small calm. Long ago you let the darkness creep into your heart and from that moment on the will of a greater power than either of us controlled the choices we could make. Goken has made his choices and you have yours, and soon things that make my heart tremble will come to being."   
"Why aren't you making any sense to me? Am I going insane? I don't understand anything… what is this darkness that is creeping into my mind… what aren't you telling me!? Where is Goken!?"   
"Calm down, Centura, he is at the hospital with Mei-ling," Tsu chose his words carefully.   
"With Mei-ling, is she hurt? I've got to go see them, I miss her, and I must talk to him!" and with that he flew off towards the hospital.   
'Kami,' Tsu lowered his eyes to the ground, 'Can we really let this happen? My heart is about to burst…' a tear dropped from his eye to the ground. The old man had grown even older it seemed since the war ended.   
'It is beyond us, Tsu. The events that have defined this moment have been in passing for over two hundred years, ever since Goku was sent to this planet and his heart changed from evil to good. Weep no more old friend, for soon the Universe will weep no more for a long, long time.'   
  
Soon did the boy arrive at the hospital and go running inside. All around him things had seemed to return to normal, as if nothing had ever happened. He found a strange feeling of detachment and surrealism. He walked down the hall and found a nurse at the desk. "Where is the room for Mei-Ling?"   
"Down the hall, to the left."   
He turned and strode down the hall, walking past the rooms without looking in. Soon he rounded the corner at continued walking down the hall, looking frantically into the doors.   
Finally he heard a voice, Goken's voice, "…just can't believe it, can you?"   
And another answered back, "No, it's a miracle, a dream come true…"   
This, to Centura sounded strange, so he hung back and walked slowly up towards the door that he hear voices coming from.   
"What am I going to tell Centura?" Goken's voice lowered.   
"Tell him the truth! Tell him that I love you and you love me, and we are married…"   
Centura gasped… and nearly fell down. Was this Hell he was in? He looked at his hands, and his forehead started to sweat…   
"I want to, only I want to protect him from himself. He's fragile, I'm afraid he can't handle it."   
Centura was starting to faint, everything was becoming white.   
"He'll have to! I'm not in love with him, you shouldn't have told him I was!" and Centura heard a light slap on Goken's arm.   
"Hey, I needed him. He was going to lose his marbles and I needed him stable. What else was I going to do? That was his only remaining hope left. I mean, he lost his father, mother, and uncle already!"   
Suddenly the white darkness swallowed Centura whole and he re-awoke. Insanity clothed his mind.   
"When he wakes up, we'll tell him." Goken said.   
"Alright, when do you think he'll wake up?" she replied.   
"I don't know if he'll ever wake up. I'm afraid he might be gone for good."   
Slowly Centura turned and walked back down the hall, turning at the main hallway.   
His dark-ness was brooding, all he saw was blood-spattered walls. Until he came to the window on his left. He hadn't noticed it before, but now it stood out.   
He walked closer to it and placed his palms on the glass. He peered inside. There he saw the crib, third row, second to the right. Clearly labeled, "Son Gosan".   
A smile crept over his face, malicious intent entered his mind, "I am truly insane, else Goken is to think I can lose everything and he gain everything. He kept everything from me, that son of a bitch. Now I'm going to show him what it's like to lose everything unfairly. And you, Son Gosan, I foresee a great future of suffering in your life!"   
Centura grinned vilely and turned back to the doors, scratching his nails into the glass right across the image of Gosan.   
Slowly he walked outside into the night, which had suddenly befallen the land in the brief time that he had entered the hospital. It was indeed a cold, cold night…   
  
*The End*


End file.
